PRS Flies into Stead to train rookies and give veterans practice time.

STEAD (June 18) – This week the annual Pylon Racing Seminar flew into the airport here. The event is where experienced pilots can hone their racing skills but for the rookies, and those that haven’t raced in a while, it’s mandatory if they want to compete in the air races.

On Wednesday morning the RARA hanger was full of aircraft participating aircraft.

Wednesday was classroom time for the rookies while the certified pilots could use the various courses to practice and get more seat time.

Before anybody did any flying on Wednesday, Air Boss Greg Pierce gave everyone a briefing on items including the weather.

After completing the morning briefing for all pilots Air Boss Greg Pierce said, “It’s been going on for I think 16th or 17 years. Effectively what it does is make the whole event a lot safer. Back in the old days we didn’t have this and people said, ‘ok I’m just going to bring an airplane, meet the class requirements and come out and race.’

“But now we need to insure that these new or racers that haven’t raced in a long time know what the procedures are and get out on the course. So we train them; they have a whole syllabus, they go through the classes and kind of the graduation part of it is when they get out with instructors, learn how to fly it and see if they can do it. Some people pass, some people don’t.”

One of those certified pilots is Bill Beaton from Calgary, Canada, who pilots Race 57 in the Sport Class.

Bill Beaton sits in his racing plane and is going over check lists.

“I raced last September and cleared my rookie PRS in 2013,” he said. “PRS is an opportunity to practice, it’s an opportunity to hone skills and maintain the camaraderie with all the people in our class.”

Asked what attracted him to racing, Beaton explained he is an accountant by training, broke out of that shell and has been enjoying recreational flying for many years. And racing has taken his skills to another level.

Bill Beaton takes off for some practice time on Wednesday morning.

On Thursday the rookies got their first chance to fly the course in simulated races.

One of them was Jeff Barnes from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who flies Race 411, a RV6 sport plane.

“This will be my first day on the course,” he said. “My feelings are aggressive anticipation.”

Jeff Barnes getting ready for his first time on the course.

Barnes added he actually began racing in a cross-country league that hosts about 20 races a year.

“The more you race the more you want to race and coming to Stead is the pinnacle of racing,” he said.

Heading out for his first time ever on the course, Jeff Barnes moves down a taxiway at Stead Airport.

Another rookie getting ready for his first time on the course was Dan West from Rio Linda, California, who flies Race 270, a Vans RV8.

Dan West (right) stands with a friend as he gets ready for his first time on the course.

Asked about how he felt his answer was, “it’s going to be turbulent as I’m on the tail end so it will be fun. I got interested as the RV’s are so much fun to fly, everybody is doing it so I just had to get involved.”

In the morning, after a briefing, the rookie sport plane pilots were divided into three groups. After taking off they did a loop then came down the chute on a simulated start.

Dan West heads for the end of the runway while the group Jeff Barnes is in flies on the Sport Class course.

The instructor pilot flying with each group was pointing out the landmarks and pylons they would be using and giving them tips on how to approach the turns. And the students did several laps around the course, not really racing each other but holding formation.

After landing both Barnes and West were asked about their impressions of this first time on the course.

“It’s absolutely one of the best experiences of my life, it’s why I’m here and it’s totally exciting,” a delighted Barnes said. “It’s really great to be out on the course with an experienced instructors that they have here. I had two experienced racers, they just made it click and being on the course for the first time made everything settle in.”

Asked if he was looking forward to September his answer was, “absolutely.”

As West headed back to the hanger after his first time on course he said, “That was more fun than a barrel of monkeys, I don’t think you can have that much fun anywhere else, that was awesome. It was great we loved it and are looking forward to September.”

While the Sport Class had the most students there were some in the T-6 class, at least one or two Unlimiteds as well as eight IF1 racers. Two of the Formula 1 pilots came from Europe.

This year there is a new World Cup for the Formula One class with two events, one in Africa and the other in Europe. Then the final of the three-race series is at Reno in September.

Only two European pilots were on hand for PRS so they will be the only ones eligible to race here in September. But the series is still a work in progress so next year there might be more participants from the IF1 World Cup.

On Thursday students were up for another session in the afternoon then on Friday, they do it all over again with two sessions, one in the morning and afternoon. Saturday is another day full of flying, debriefings and flying again.

Then those that are certified return home and start preparing for their return in September for the 2015 edition of the Reno National Championship Air Races, which runs from the 16th to the 20th.

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