[KokomoHams] Indiana Ham Radio Operators: A message from the Sport Air Racing League re: The Indy Air Race

[Linda Street-Ely]

Dear Indiana Ham Radio Operators:
 
The Sport Air Racing League (www.SportAirRace.org) has just completed its fifth season, and we tried something new this year: joining forces with area Ham operators. Two out of our 20 races this season, Wickenburg, AZ and Taylor, TX, saw great participation and lots of enthusiasm by area Hams, who worked as Turn Point Spotters and used our races as field day exercises, combining our race event with an emergency communications drill.
 

As Race Director of the Indy Air Race (www.TheIndyAirRace.blogspot.com), a sanctioned event of the Sport Air Racing League, I'd like to find out how much interest there is among Indiana Hams to get involved in our next Indy race, which will likely be scheduled for mid-August 2012. 


Since this idea is new for both SARL and Hams, let me share the report we've received from the Ham group that joined us in Taylor, Texas, for our November 19th, 2011 Rocket 100 Air Race. We were pleased to have their help, and to help them. It was really a win-win situation. What follows is their own After Action Report detailing what went well and what didn't from their perspective. We'll roll all of this up, address shortcomings and move forward.
 
AFTER ACTION REPORT


TAYLOR ROCKET 100 AIR RACE

NOVEMBER 19, 2011

OBJECTIVE: Provide monitoring and reporting of planes passing 5 turns along the race route. Particularly, report any planes cutting turns short.

COMMUNICATIONS: Planned use of 145.45 Taylor and 147.08 Georgetown repeaters along with HF link to Lake Somerville turn.

POSITIVES:
1. Everyone reported having fun at the event. Many commented they’d like to do it again.
2. The NA5BD Special 80-60-40M trapped dipole worked very well on both ends of the HF link to Somerville. It also worked well with the ad hoc HF link to Hearne.
3. When the VHF link from Hearne failed to operate, an HF NVIS system was quickly brought on line and communications established on HF as an alternative. Way to go Milam team!
4. There were really no confirmed reports of planes cutting corners short.
5. Lots of positive response to watching the race.
6. This was the first muli-county/multi-district drill on record. It was a great learning experience with the usual problems and creative solutions. Each time we get better.

NEGATIVES:
1. Very difficult to hear the planes announce their race identifier (number). The transmissions were often not well enunciated, or otherwise not understood.
2. The planned VHF relay link between Hearne and Taylor did not operate as planned. Due to some as yet unidentified issue they were not able to make the hops as planned.
3. Last minute changes to the race list were not communicated to the Turns due to confusion on the comm links.
4. The Taylor repeater has an intermittent keying problem that needs attention.
5. The 147.08 repeater can’t be hit with an HT, especially from the tarmac side of the hangar.

SUGGESTIONS:
1. Publish descriptions of the planes ahead of time so the spotters can have them. Even if the order changes, it would be good to have the descriptions, and it’s a lot of information to pass by voice in a short time period.
2. Binoculars may help the spotters figure out numbers.
3. Make sure the exact spot of the turn is clearly identifiable from the ground for the benefit of the spotters.
4. Plan on the HF link next time from Hearne.
5. Better antenna/power level at the airport for using the 147.08 repeater. We worked it from a mobile, which isolated that operator from the rest of the action. Using a cross band repeater might have been a better solution.
6. More explicit instructions for the turn spotters as to just what to report.

COMMENTS:
1. Let’s do it again.
2. The deputy sheriff didn’t make us move from in front of the no parking sign.
3. N5TW got some great pictures of the planes.

PARITICPANTS:
The following “hams” participated at various locations between the Taylor airport and all 5 race turns.
Al Kirchner KE5OIZ
Billy Cooper KE5WPD
Brad Davis NA5BD
Butch Johnson KA5HRF
Charles Doughtie N5EXY
Don Spivey NE5DX
Franklin Stewart KD5WRO
Gary Baker KF5JEH
Gary Chamberlain KB5DLK
Jim Kinter K5KTF
Jim Russell NQ5L
Ken Malgren K7MAL
Kenneth Watkins KE5ISN
Lee Cooper W5LHC
Mary Duval KF5MFN
Priscilla Beauregard KE5UES
Richard Cooper KE5VYC
Ron Baldwin AE5WW
Teddy Bruski KE5UET
Tom Whiteside N5TW
 
I've tried to include all Indiana Ham clubs for which I could find email addresses. Sure hope this doesn't go into spam boxes. Please feel free to pass this on.

Sincerely,
Linda Street-Ely
Sport Air Racing League Race Director, The Indy Air Race
Team Ely, Race #55, The Elyminator
 

Sent to:
Sent to:
Dave Morthland, Hoosier Hills Ham Club, Bedford - wa9jhh at gmail.com
Michael Palmer, Indianapolis Repeater Association - N9feb at comcast.net
Jim Hunt, Kokomo - Jim.R.Hunt at sbcglobal.net and kokomohams at mailman.qth.net. 
Bob Jones, Franklin - president at midstatehams.org and Jack Parker - activities at midstatehams.org
Ken Bandy, Indianapolis - KJ9B at arrl.net
Robert Thrapp, Elkhart - bobkb9tuj at yahoo.com
Sandy Swartzendruber, Goshen - sandy at precisionaudio.com
Walt Breining, Henry County - n9wb at nltc.net
Dwight Spaulding, Jennings County - n9pgb at arrl.net. 
Bob Poortinga, Bloomington - no email 
Indiana University - k9iu at indiana.edu
Orange County - ocarc_pres at kb9ohy.org
Greenfield/Hancock County - no email
Carmel I.C.E. - w9ice at comcast.net
Dave Lindquist, Allen County - w9lkh at comcast.net
TARS/Evansville - info at w9og.net
Phil Snider, Cass County - phil_snider at hotmail.com
Whitley County - wc9ar at arrl.net



Michael Palmer, Indianapolis Repeater Association - N9feb at comcast.net
Jim Hunt, Kokomo - Jim.R.Hunt at sbcglobal.net and kokomohams at mailman.qth.net. 
Bob Jones, Franklin - president at midstatehams.org and Jack Parker - activities at midstatehams.org
Ken Bandy, Indianapolis - KJ9B at arrl.net
Robert Thrapp, Elkhart - bobkb9tuj at yahoo.com
Sandy Swartzendruber, Goshen - sandy at precisionaudio.com
Walt Breining, Henry County - n9wb at nltc.net
Dwight Spaulding, Jennings County - n9pgb at arrl.net. 
Bob Poortinga, Bloomington - no email 
Indiana University - k9iu at indiana.edu
Orange County - ocarc_pres at kb9ohy.org
Greenfield/Hancock County - no email
Carmel I.C.E. - w9ice at comcast.net
Dave Lindquist, Allen County - w9lkh at comcast.net
TARS/Evansville - info at w9og.net
Phil Snider, Cass County - phil_snider at hotmail.com
Whitley County - wc9ar at arrl.net