Race day 1 - four legs in one day!

Our day started with a 6am breakfast, where we got our final weather briefing, and also found that USA Today had an article about the race (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-06-21-female-pilot-race_N.htm). Then we headed over to Page Field for the race start. It was another beautiful sunny morning, with a great forecast for the entire day over the race route once we got out of Florida. We all had about half an hour to pack up the planes, check the oil (when racing, always add more than you think you need!), wipe off the bugs, pay the fuel bills, meet the photographers and well wishers, and get situated. At 8am, the starters came out to the planes and signalled for planes to start their engines in race order in groups of five, then each of us called Page Ground Control for taxi to the active runway 31. It was a big job for the ground and tower controllers to get 51 airplanes off in rapid succession, as well as managing their regular traffic - they were awesome! As Classic Racer #9 we start up in sequence, taxied, ran up the engine and were cleared for takeoff. Once we flew over the timing line, the race was on!

When racing we run the plane with full throttle and prop full forward the entire time, leaned rich of peak, to get the highest speed possible possible, which is much different to the way the plane is normally flown. We also fly at much different altitudes to normal cruise flight, often choosing to stay low rather than wasting time to climb. This means a hot, bumpy, noisy, fast ride with outside air temperatures of 90 or 100 degrees, and the plane has no air conditioning, just a couple of atmospheric vents which many race pilots keep closed anyway to avoid drag on the airframe. So we have to drink lots of water to keep hydrated, and be very vigilant about airspace, obstacle clearance, other planes and so on. The copilot's role is vital in the race to navigate and manage the radios, as the pilot has her hands full most of the time. Mary and I alternate pilot and copilot roles on each leg.

Mary flew the first leg, to Waycross Georgia (AYS), 283 nm (nautical miles) in about 2 hours. We had a couple of Class C airfields to go through or over (Lakeland, Ocala and Gainesville), and the towers cleared us straight through. We made great time against our handicap with a good tailwind, and soon it was time to do our first flyby. The first one is always the most difficult because the planes are still bunched up close together and traffic is fast and furious - and because its the first one of the race. We listened on the radio for all the other traffic, made our calls on the common frequency so the timers could hear, lined up to the airport, dived to flyby altitude without taking off any power, and zoomed over the field along the timing line at 300 ft and 150 kt. Then the leg is over, and there's plenty of time to climb out from the field, cool the engine down, relax a bit, get into landing configuration, and bring it down for more fuel. When its time to go again, we have to take off, fly 10 or so miles out, reposition, come back in and do it all again so the clock can start for the next leg.

We spent only about 20 minutes at the first stop getting fuel and water. We were one of the first ten or so planes into the airport, so we wanted to get out quickly to stay ahead of the pack, and cover a lot of ground before the day got too hot. Alison flew the next leg, to Tuscaloosa Alabama (TCL), which was uneventful except for a planned deviation around a restricted area, and the fact that Tuscaloosa has a control tower that directs all the flyby traffic. Mary flew on from there to Hot Springs Arkansas (HOT). These two legs we did not get significant winds, but they were pleasant flights with still weather. We got to Hot Springs at about 4pm central time, and spent about an hour there, but eventually decided to continue to Cameron Missouri (EZZ) due to the promise of excellent weather and very nice tailwinds, Alison flying. This last flight of the day was in the hazy evening light, 320 nm over the lakes of Arkansas, and was very beautiful. We got to Cameron around 8pm central time, and are now pretty exhausted after a long day including more than 8 hours and 1200 nm of flying. Out of the 51 planes in the race, only about 10 or 15 decided to press on this far. The one disadvantage is that the previous stop, Hot Springs, is a resort with lots of great hotels and facilities, whereas Cameron is a quiet piece of American heartland with not much at all going on! But still, if the weather system to the North pushes down into our route through Illinois and Indiana later tomorrow instead of stalling out, being in Cameron should give us more options.

A potential cause for concern since the mags were just replaced is that Mary and the refueller in Cameron noticed some oil running down the nose strut and pooling in the engine. We will probably have to get a mechanic to look at it in the morning. The plane has been performing beautifully and showing no signs of impending trouble, so we hope it will be nothing.

I took some great photos today, but unfortunately I left my camera in the plane, so I won't be able to upload them till tomorrow...