Getting schooled

Reno Air Racing CEO Fred Telling was simplifying—though not by much—the extent of training for air racers at Reno before 1998. Joining the race wasn’t difficult either. Show up with an airplane that passed pre-race maintenance inspection, pay your fee, and grab a race number.

Race organizers and participants soon realized, however, that they needed greater confidence in a racer’s ability to fly all-out within feet of other racers, less than 100 feet off the ground, executing sharp, high-G turns around a pylon. So, in 1998 Reno started the Pylon Racing Seminar (PRS).

The idea was to improve safety and the racing experience for racers, organizers, and spectators through mandatory training that would establish a shared sense of standards—rules of the road—for air racing. PRS would also allow organizers and racers to size up new entrants to make sure they met a minimum level of flying competence for the demanding flying.

“It helps us sort out pilots who may have the desire to race, but not yet the skill,” said Terry Matter, vice chair for Reno Air Racing. The school is now required for first-time racers in any of the seven race classes in the Stihl National Championship Air Races including the new STOL drag competition. Racers must also complete the school if they haven’t raced in three years, are moving up a class, or they’ve been directed by instructors to attend.

The course is also used for remedial training if racers or officials observe behavior or a mistake that’s inconsistent with the Reno race corps safety culture. Matter said they get racers who “self-initiate,” meaning without being directed, they assess a personal need to take the course. Pilots who are not embarrassed—and not afraid of the consequences—of requesting a repeat in training, is a great indication of strong safety culture.

PRS starts with between three to seven hours of ground school, depending on the class and class size, taught by experienced racers/certificated flight instructors and in some cases A&P mechanics. The classwork covers myriad topics. Race rules, which can be extensive, are taught and emphasized with scenarios in the course. There’s a class on “racing discipline,” with protocols on how to pass someone on the course, how to respond if being passed, and emergency procedures. Instructors cover aircraft performance, human factors such as fatigue and dehydration, density altitude impact, and much more. An impactful part of classroom work is a review of many mishaps experienced at Reno over the years and the lessons learned that came out of them. Students leave ground school with a collective understanding of the disciplined race environment.

Ground school is followed by actual flying time on a race course. If airplanes are equipped with two seats, the instructor flies along. Otherwise, the instructor flies chase in a like or similar aircraft. Flight instruction and evaluation continues until the student demonstrates a clear understanding of the rules and shows good judgment in handling different race scenarios. Each flight is followed by an extensive debrief to highlight strengths, weaknesses, and potential conflict and danger areas.

Advancing safety takes working all five elements of the aviation safety model: knowledge, training, proficiency, equipment, and culture. PRS can’t guarantee there will not be mishaps. It’s aviation; there are no guarantees, but PRS is clearly a strategic move that will have a positive impact on racers, spectators, and organizers for the safety of all.

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