2013 Course
View the Picture Gallery for the 2013 Rally.
Check out the video of planes crossing the timing line at Checkpoint Goering. (113 MB) (Quicktime required).
Click for the complete scoring results for 2013.
The Rally awards much more than just 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Here are some of the other fun awards for 2013:
Special 2013 Awards |
|
| Performance Award | Race 11, Mitzi Saylor (again!) |
| Red Baron Award | Race 711, Ed Laskey and Karen Cheney |
| Worst Fuel Score | Race 711, Ed Laskey and Karen Cheney |
| Best Overall Time Score | Race 20, Dave Hindi and Jeff Zalewski (6 seconds total!) |
| Best Renter | Race 24, Tim Ronan |
| Worst Time Score | Race 14, Jim Agua |
| Tail End Charlie | Race 3, Dan VanDussen (2003 points) |
| Sightseeing (highest MSL) | Race 64, Tom Best |
| Most Lost (biggest distance to a checkpoint) | Race 75, Tim Huckabay (9.3683 nm away!) |
| Highest Altitude at Timing-1 | Race 4, Jim Stimmel (1867' AGL) |
| Highest Altitude at Timing-2 | Race 3, Dan VanDussen (1347' AGL) |
| Top Gun (highest % speed @ Timing) | Race 73, Sam Sun (127.54% of cruise) |
| Wright Flyer (lowest % speed @ Timing) | Race 15, Ken Dyche (33.3% of cruise) |
Each of the Rally's two legs each include:
- 1 Start Point
- 3 Mandatory Checkpoints
- 1 Timing Point
- 1 Stop Point
The checkpoints, and therefore the course, change every year. The required checkpoints which define the course are announced the day before the race (see the race schedule) at the briefing and are documented in the race book provided to each team. The exact course flown is chosen by the pilot of each aircraft. Remember, this is not a speed race, it is a proficiency race; accuracy counts.
So that prospective racers can get better idea of the materials provided during the briefing, a PDF copy of the 2013 Race Book is available for download here.
Checkpoints are to be overflown by race aircraft. Each checkpoint can be adequately identified from the air. The two timing points at Checkpoint Nat and Checkpoint Goering are also overflown and race officials on the ground will record the time overhead the timing line.
The 2013 course is described here to provide an example only, the 2014 course will be very different (we're going to Oshkosh!!), and will not be announced until shortly before the race during the briefings.
The 2013 course included the following checkpoints and stops:
- Hayward (HWD) - Race Starts
- Mystery (38-00.00N, 121-30.00W)
- Eagle Ridge (6CA6)
- Challenge (39-29.23N, 121-13.45W)
- Checkpoint Marie (40-21.894N, 122-13.038W @ 68CA) - Timing Point
- Redding (RDD) - Landing, Fuel and Lunch
- Lookout (41-12.48N, 121-08.97W)
- Moondance Ranch (87OR)
- Fort Rock (43-21.37N, 121-03.20W)
- Checkpoint Goering (50OR) - Timing Point
- Bend (BDN) - Landing, Fuel, Race Ends
Approximate 2013 Race Course:
Here are the GPS-logged tracks from all Rally aircraft - where they actually flew! There seems to be some question about the best way to get there.
Each checkpoint has a question to be answered to ensure positive identification. A typical checkpoint question looks like this:
Checkpoint #1 |
Mystery |
Elevation ~0 ' |
Lat N 38 deg. 00.00' |
Overfly above 1500' |
Long W 121 deg. 30.00' |
What is the dominant feature found near these coordiantes? |
|
A. New residential subdivision |
|
| B. Uncharted paved airport | |
C. Wind energy turbines |
The checkpoint at Mystery looked like this from the air:
So, the answer was: B. Uncharted paved airport. - Who knew that was there?!?
The winner of the 2013 Rally was Race 20, Dave Hindi and Jeff Zalewski with only 41 points!