Soaring and Critical Mass of Participation.

John Shelton wrote:
snippage

A Sprint Race (invented by ME) involves a few aircraft starting in a
cylinder at the same time (yes, i know the Euros are doing something
similar
now but I proposed it long before them), flying a short task (to
quarter
mile AST turnpoints) designed to last no more than an hour and a
half, and
finishing at a FINISH LINE in front of the gate/audience/crews. The
time
limit is important for several reasons; not the least of which is the
boredom that exists back at the strip while you are out in your ship
scratching around in two knots. Fellows: She isn't coming back out to
help
you ever again after you put her through that. But if she doesn't
have to
commit the family vacation and the entire lifestyle, gets to visit
with
other people who are excited about a race they are watching, then she
just
might. And with 30:1 ships, you just might need a crew again.....

The ships and trailers will be painted in a variety of bright colors
and
covered with vinyl advertisements not unlike the vehicles of the most
popular sport in America. If one wants to push it, then the
production
methods proposed by me for a televised race bought by Fox to be shown
ten
times could be employed. Lipstick cameras, camera ships, computer
images
(held to a minimum) and all that stuff could be used to create a
venue that
is watchable, exciting and inviting...especially when a young pilot
crawls
out of the winning ship to stand on the podium to collect his/her
check and
put his Red Bull cap on for the cameras to see.

Gee, John. It sounds like you're volunteering to CD the 1-26
Championships.
We already have "Soaring in full color". (Buy the T-shirt at the 1-26
site). It's not 30:1, but hey, put 'em in the Owens Valley in the
summertime (so you have those spectacular Sierra views and booming
lift), and nobody at home will know the difference.
Not a laminar flow wing, so put all the sponsor stickers you can afford
on 'em. A vinyl edge here and there won't hurt a thing but the gross
weight.
You can even mention that getting into competition with these things is
cheaper than some hang gliders. (The ATOS VX is about 15 grand US, a
good 1-26 is probably less than 10. That difference even pays for the
instruction, for most people.

Tim Ward