On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:09:07 -0500, Gig 601Xl Builder
wrote:


Is it just me or does the whole rocket racing league sound like a bad
idea? I'll admit I haven't looked into it much but it just feels like an
real bad series of accidents waiting to happen.

Well, let's see:

1. Each race ends with an emergency (e.g., an aircraft without of fuel).
2. If the race starts the way the RRL promotional artwork shows, multiple
aircraft will run out of fuel at the same time.
3. Ground tow vehicles will need to enter the active runway to drag the planes
off...while, of course, other planes are landing deadstick. I'm sure SOP will
be for the pilots to attempt to coast off at a taxiway, but we know that will
not happen all the time.
4. As I mentioned on a previous posting, the current record for refueling a
rocket plane to take off again will need to be bettered by a factor of ten or
twelve times.
5. This rapid refueling involves liquid oxygen at about -300 degrees F. Not
only are there the considerations involving dumping cryogenic fuel into a
vehicle holding a hot rocket engine, there are the hazards involved with LOX
itself. According to some online safety data, LOX can react violently with
"...oil, grease, asphalt, kerosene, cloth, tar, and dirt that may contain oil or
grease...." All of which are rife at a typical airport. And, again, keep in
mind the crew will be working *fast*...this IS a race, after all.
6. With LOX involved, most accidents are likely to be fatal for the pilot, with
huge fireballs. Responders (it's not likely they'll be "rescue crews") will
have to don appropriate protective gear.
7. To give them any chance at all, the pilots will need to wear complete
protective suits...which will probably hamper their vision.
8. There are no pylons or ground references for the course...pilots are
apparently going to be monitoring 3-D imagery through a HUD. While in close
proximity to other aircraft. While wearing a protective suit.

On the plus side, none of this should endanger spectators, as long as the pit
areas are kept far away (and preferably downwind).

It's even more exciting contemplating how the financial model for this is going
to work. All the aircraft, all the refueling stations, all the projection TVs,
etc. are going to have to be trucked to each race location. It'll take a while
to set up and get working right. Large hangars will have to be rented. Crowd
control, parking, concessions, porta-potties, everything involved in a major
public event have to be arranged. RRL is marketed as "NASCAR in the Sky," but
NASCAR holds its events in permanent facilities with all these problems already
taken care of.

RRL was supposed to hold its first event about two years ago; we're four months
from the first "race" and you can bet neither EAA nor Reno will be handing over
any gate receipts....

Ron Wanttaja