So I have pondering on this one for sometime. The concept is like that of a drag race. I would love to have multiple planes run side by side but for safety reasons one plane at a time, for time is the way to go.

3 classes like that of a STOL event with a winner of each. Then with the 3 winners battling for overall champion to test the theory.

You start at a line ready to go. Full throttle for 1 mile (here's the catch). You must lift off within 500' and you must land on or after the line (like in a STOL) comp and come to a stop within 300feet. (Maybe this distance varies for class?) ideas?

If you don't get off the ground in time you get a 3 second penalty for every 10' after.

If you touch down to early 3 seconds is added as a penalty for every 10 feet short. For every 10 feet past the 300' stop line you get a 3 second penalty.

Basically you do whatever it takes for you to get to the other end but you must fly and then land on or after the line creating a must slow down and stop in time strategy.

What else can you think of for this? It could be pretty cool. Nose wheelers might have a real good chance with breaking ability but then again who knows.

I think this could be really fun and you can get through a bunch of planes pretty quick.

Give me your feedback

AKT

That's a great idea Kevin! I have for a long time been thinking about designing a similar event.

How about a course with tethered helium balloons to fly around, then a fly under ribbon followed by a fly over ribbon then another fly under.

Then a flour drop of some sort...

A fifty foot wheel drag with penalties for contacting the ground too late/too early and leaving the ground too early/too late.

Could be a little hazardous, but would be seriously fun if everyone handles their craft skillfully.

Sounds like fun! I'm in! It might be easier to time if you have to turn around a pile on and come back and land on or past the same line you started from. Better viewing for the spectators also.

Scolopax wrote:That's a great idea Kevin! I have for a long time been thinking about designing a similar event.

How about a course with tethered helium balloons to fly around, then a fly under ribbon followed by a fly over ribbon then another fly under.

Then a flour drop of some sort...

A fifty foot wheel drag with penalties for contacting the ground too late/too early and leaving the ground too early/too late.

Could be a little hazardous, but would be seriously fun if everyone handles their craft skillfully.

Thats a cool idea as well but with this group I would be tying ribbons and filling balloons all day...

AKT

robw56 wrote:Sounds like fun! I'm in! It might be easier to time if you have to turn around a pile on and come back and land on or past the same line you started from. Better viewing for the spectators also.

A down and back could be cool for certain

I like Rob's take also.

- Start and stop from the same line
- Have two pylons equidistant from start line, maybe 2500' ??
- Takeoff, fly wings level until past the first pylon, turn around 180 degrees and fly past the second pylon wings level, start turn 180 degrees back to finish line.

It would take a good bit of pilot skill and strategy to negotiate the turns in the shortest time possible, while still setting up for the spot/short landing.

That's aerocross, man.

Maybe we could borrow Barnstormers obstacles???

Sounds like a lot of fun!

So glad you put this post up! I saw it on you hsf flyer and it left me wondering. So many questions now answered.

How about a timed taxi portion? You could have a set of small orange cones in a line that pilots would have to "slalom" taxi through up to the hold short line for takeoff. Knock over a cone with a main or a tailwheel and you lose points. You could also make them taxi back through them after their landing.

Timing for the whole drag race begins when they start their taxi into the cones and ends when they exit the cones after they land. It would add an additional layer of difficulty and demonstrate their ability to taxi a tailwheel. Just an idea.

bart wrote:I like Rob's take also.

- Start and stop from the same line
- Have two pylons equidistant from start line, maybe 2500' ??
- Takeoff, fly wings level until past the first pylon, turn around 180 degrees and fly past the second pylon wings level, start turn 180 degrees back to finish line.

It would take a good bit of pilot skill and strategy to negotiate the turns in the shortest time possible, while still setting up for the spot/short landing.

Me too... but the suggestion sounds awful suspect coming from an ag piot In fact I'd say it sounds like a rinse load at the end of almost every night

Rob wrote:
Me too... but the suggestion sounds awful suspect coming from an ag piot In fact I'd say it sounds like a rinse load at the end of almost every night

I agree it would be suspect, however, I fly helicopters so if anything I'm at a disadvantage in these starch wing contests

And the only thing I'll be "rinsing out", is my cottonmouth after an epic night by the campfire!!!

Not sure about encouraging the seeking of the fastest time requiring duster turns close to the ground. Could the time stop , then the turn ,then time starts going back to the start-finish line? More complicated for the time keepers but safer. Guess I am getting conservative in my old age.

chance wrote: Not sure about encouraging the seeking of the fastest time requiring duster turns close to the ground.....

I'm not gonna be there, so maybe it's none of my business, but I've been thinking the same thing. There's lots of self-induced pressure in any contest, included STOL, but adding a stopwatch to the equation seems to me like asking for trouble. I hate to be a wet blanket, but that's my take on it.

Maybe just have a radar gun and have a high speed pass rather than racing pylon turn. Scatter pylon has caused a lot of mayhem.

I like the original idea of stoping like Starting like a STOL comp, flying straight for a mile and landing like a STOL comp with penalties for landing short or long. Maybe a quick ground turnaround and do the same thing back, did a little practice the other day on the lakebed and it was pretty fun and SAFE for all.