So, I get up early in the morning, (Friday), way before dawn, and Buck, ("FedX Bob"), and I have a cup of coffee, while Dave and Steve slumber peacefully, (probably due to the fact that Buck and I were awake and no longer snoring), oblivious to the activity taking place in and around the Mighty Pursuit. The weather appeared to be perfect, clear and cool. In preparation for the lonely day ahead of me, I get the thermos filled and the Baileys packed in my backpack, along with the final additions of food and water. We had our final discussions for "The Plan of the Day", ie: drop-off and pick-up points and times, schedule of events for the day, etc. Last minute checks of the GPS were accomplished and we were on our way. The excitement was building in my still foggy head, in anticipation for what was to be a really exciting day for me. There were a couple of disappointments to befall me in the way of missing airplanes, but that will be explained later. Buck dropped me off at the designated point and I was on my way to my secret viewing station up in the Juniper trees, not to be seen or heard from again until late in the afternoon. I have had to resort to this mode of operation due to the fact that I can't figure out how to get press credentials to get access to the pylons. It is truly worth the effort though, as the pictures and the video that I have obtained from this spot are really cool, in my humble opinion.
After getting my mini camp situated, the next thing to do was to figure out the camera angles, viewing points, and most important, escape routes, (from the authorities). Having accomplished all preparations, it was time to settle in for the day. I started with some coffee and Baileys. The sun was just coming over the ridge, and between the coffee and sun... Excellent! Now I could relax, warm my bones, listen to the radio, and let the GPS find my coordinates. My friend Matt wasn't with me this year with his GPS, so I had to reestablish the coordinates of my camp with Dave's.
Not much was happening for a while. Then , I could hear an Unlimited warming up on the ramp across the valley. After a little bit, Bill Destefani was up wringing Strega out after probaly working on her overnight. Then, Bob Hannah flew over in Voodoo, apparently doing the same. The sound of those Merlins was awe inspiring and just added to the anticipation for the racing to begin. The minutes ticked by and finally it was time. The airshow was just beginning. Alrighty then! The C-130 from the Alaska Air National Guard with the Alaska Parachute Team took off right across my field of view. I got up and stretched, grabbed the camera and started off the day's picture taking with a great view across the valley, complete with the C-130. Shortly after, the unmistakable sound of the Navy Huey, with the rescue jumpers onboard, came clearly and loudly up the valley. The next thing I knew, there they were, right in front of me. Cool! I knew I was in the right spot. From my vantage point, I could see the opening ceremonies clearly. After watching for awhile, I went back to my camp and lay back down under a Juniper bush to await the start of the T-6 race. I listened to the sounds wafting across the valley and enjoyed the solitude of my "place". All I could think of was, "This IS the life." Throughout the morning, the miscellaneous F1, Sport Biplane, and Sport Class races took place with the interspersed aerobatic performances. Finally, the time came for the first T-6 race. After they took off, they flew around behind me and over me as they gathered for the start. My perspective was pretty good for the start. As they flew down the Valley of Speed, they flew past my perch and the pace plane pulled up for their start. I got a pretty good view of that whole affair. It just increased my anxiousness for the first Unlimited race to start after lunch. Man, I couldn't wait!
Oh boy, this is where things became a little foggy. The weather had started to deteriorate with a bank of clouds threatening rain and maybe wind. The wind never really materialized, but the light became pretty poor for pictures from my viewpoint. Once again the race started darn near on-time. This was the race I had been waiting for. The big, bad, and really fast "Gold" race for Friday was on. Here they came with Dago Red, Race #4 flown by Bruce Lockwood in the lead, at what I thought to be full full bore. (I was to be pleasantly surprised on Sunday, and vindicated in what I had theorized in my previous version of the ARAHP, (Air Race Addict's Homepage), would be higher speeds with the 99 course changes). Strega, Race #7, with Tiger Destefani nipping at his heels in second, Critical Mass Race #10 with Tom Dwelle in third, Rare Bear Race #77, with Matt Jackson in fourth, Dennis Sanders in Dreadnought, Race #8, followed by Gary Levitz in Miss Ashley II, Race #38, and Daniel Martin in #20 Ridge Runner were the field. Just as Rare Bear came by, Jackson pulled up and out of the race. I didn't have time to dwell on him, as the rest of the field was back around before I knew it. He had gained quite a bit of altitude after he pulled up, so I was sure he would recover okay. Turned out I was right. My next disappointment was seeing Miss Ashley pull out of the race right after passing me on lap 1. Levitz appeared to be under power, so I concentrated on the rest of the field, thinking, "Gee, was it something I ate?" Unfortunately, (for alot of reasons), this was the last chance I would have to get a really good view of Miss Ashley II and Gary Levitz in flight. I digress. The racers that were left were really cruisin. When Dago, Strega, Dreadnought, and Critical Mass passed over my head at speeds in excess of 450mph, exciting experience for me after 19 trips to Reno. The racing continued and I was able to get some pretty nice shots of the remainder of the field. The pace pretty well remained the same, as well as the order of the racers. Switching back and forth between the video camera and my trusty Pentax became quite an ordeal with the speed with which these guys were lapping the course. Not making excuses, for the experience was well worth the effort undertaken, it would have been really nice to have another person to deal with the video while I took the stills. My friend Matt should be there with me next year. He's another Air Race Addict, confirmed member of the "Back Straight Bums", convinced of the need for an annual pilgramage to the "Enchanted Desert" at Stead, Nevada. He followed this routine with me back in "97", and is familiar with the action at this little piece of Heaven. Well, the race came to an end before I knew it. Dago Red set the pace and set up a little drama for Sunday. Lockwood finished at 456 with Strega behind at 450. Dreadnought followed at 432, with Critical Mass at 426. Daniel Martin brought up the rear with a 367. The racers all recovered and I retired to my camp to start collecting my things. The show wasn't over yet, though. The Thunderbirds still had their arrival show to do and I wasn't disappointed with the view from the hill. By this time, the weather appeared to be ready to dump, but it didn't. It did provide some really neat photo opportunities, of which I tried to take full advantage. I took what pictures I could, and when they were through, I started my hike back to the designated pickup point. I could see Buck coming across the valley eventually and finally met him about 5 PM. At last! Someone to tell about the great day I had. We headed back to the motorhome where everyone had dinner, then the first viewing of the video I had taken "out there". I have to mention the margaritas flowed generously upon my arrival. With some viewing of Jupiter and her moons,and Saturn and her rings, with the telescope that Buck brings, the end of the day had finally arrived.