Revisiting alternate sites

[Greg Watters]

Ok we know Omeo is very likely to have a meeting this year , but probably after it drys from the wet autumn and gets over winter, Nov has been proposed but i think nothing is set in stone yet ....currently a work in progress

Chris had been looking at the claypan in QLD, if organised it could be happening sooner given there entering the dry season .

Airfield venues .. while i have been looking at Corowa , its not any longer than Tailem bend ,
The Temora airfield is longer, and has run a event in the last 12 mths through Cams
Does anyone have contacts in that area , only issue i see from vids of the "temora 1000" is there is some loose stone on the surface http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTAC_tRX ... ata_player... a street sweeper maybe

Big question for this sort of thing is what do we do about insurance ?? once that is sorted it would be fairly easy to get something underway

[Rob]

Bugger Greg,

I was in Temora last weekend.

I do have a contact reasonably close by who isn't a racer but is a car guy. He may be able to help if required.

Cheers,
Rob

[David Leikvold]

It would make sense to approach our current insurers, Cowden, to see what they can do for us at Lake Omeo. They know us and they also know we aren't claimers so I can't imagine them not being interested. If they're up for it, then it's just the logistics of running at a new venue. It wouldn't hurt to mention the vague possibility of airstrip meetings too but without a venue any discussion would be hypothetical. If they're only interested in Lake Gairdner we could approach the CAMS / AASA insurers who presumably already cover Tailem Bend.

With Lake Omeo we're weather affected again, but the location is much more accessible and convenient for lots of members with a much better chance of a rain date working at short notice. If the first meeting goes well and the locals want us back, we should run two meetings a year there, one at the start of the dry season (with a rain date locked in) and the other in the second half of the season, with space for a rain date before the weather shuts us out for the winter. It would certainly accelerate (pun intended) our development of slick race meetings at Lake Omeo.

I wouldn't rule out a third lake Omeo meeting each year, as well as Lake Gairdner's traditional Speedweek. This would spread the load a bit. Some people would turn up for every meeting, others could miss a meeting but turn up for the next one. Others might use the last one as a test and tune for Speedweek. This would nicely eliminate the problem we currently have of waiting for years to get just a few runs. And don't forget that Lake Omeo is, for so many reasons, better than El Mirage.

Cheers
Dave

[Greg Watters]

Dave i think the insurance is ok with the different venue but otherwise similar circumstance that Omeo is , its the airfields that have a 20 mil cover needed to suit the aviation industry and an entirely different insurance package needed
I have had a quote from AON for $7k, which is not insurmountable if there is enough interest , but cheaper would be financially easier

Hell i would even welcome a commercial interest not even associated with the DLRA for the airfield stuff

And 3 mets at Omeo, yes there is that potential, no reason why the whole thing can't run like the local speed way meets and have x number/yr as conditions suit , just realy looking at long weekends etc at the moment to make it easier for the guys traveling longer distance

[David Leikvold]

The country airstrips have never been much use to us. Most of them are only about one kilometre long and with exhorbitant insurance costs (for no good reason) they really aren't a viable alternative. On the other hand, remote military airstrips like Woomera and Maralinga are both 2,500 metres long and have much better potential for a Mojave Mile style LSR meeting. Mojave is 3,800 metres long (12,500ft), a very generous length but with nothing out there in the desert they can afford to go big. I don't think there are any long airstrips closer to our eastern seaboard. RAAF Amberley and Brisbane Airport's main runway are both 3,000metres long but we have Buckley's chance of ever being allowed on either of them.

Cheers
Dave

[DLRA]

Here's a good link for Airport lengths. Seems 10,000 ft is pretty standard for a large city airport down to 3000 ft for a country (unpaved) airport.
Airports in Australia - http://www.aircraft-charter-world.com/a ... tralia.htm

Here's another;
Australia Airports - with paved runways - http://www.indexmundi.com/australia/air ... nways.html

[kermitracing]

Hi All, Paul from Tassie,
Some time ago I approached Burnie Airport about using their second runway for testing out my bike and they seemed quite approachable about the idea. Not sure how they would feel about running a major event nor if they had the free space unallocated to landings and take offs but it dont hurt too ask! They have around 12 aircraft movements a day so they may have days with very few. The main runway is 1650 meters overall but the airport is pretty hungry for money as the local Burnie council is constantly proping it up. One of the major problems would be insurance and the other is you guys would need to take a ferry trip on top of the distance already travelled. Many car clubs come down here for rallys etc. so there is some funding available through Events Tasmania to subsidise interstate travellers to Tasmanian events. Its close to many other facilities includinmg motels, eateries etc. so in that respect it has a lot to offer. I am happy to ask the question if those in the know think it worth pursuing. At this stage I have a very fast bike but know where to run just like everyone else I am itchy to try it out.
Cheers Paul

[AuotonomousRX]

Gunnedah Airport NSW is used as part of their annual Week of Speed. It is 1.646 kms long. (Long enough for Test and Tune/Exhibition Runs)

http://www.nswevents.com/Event/10-03-20 ... ortBy=Date

Becoming part of this or similar Regional Events might be another option.

Whatever happens with other Venues, the most important thing is, we all need to get behind any events that are organised in the future.


Pete
#866

[David Leikvold]

Sadly, there's nothing on the airport list that ticks all our boxes. I used to think that Mojave's 12,500 ft wasn't overly generous, I now know better Not to worry, something bitumen might turn up some day.

Paul,
Think small at first, see if you can get a local event happening, maybe even just for bikes. Might be easier to get an existing car or bike club involved. Perhaps do something like that Airstrip Attack I posted a while back. If it's a success then go bigger. Keep doing it and eventually plenty of mainlanders will join you

Pete,
Gunnedah looks half a chance, what's the bet it'll clash with Speedweek next year?! But having a few fast cars and bikes there and at other regional speed events wouldn't hurt a bit.

Cheers
Dave

[Rob]

Mudgee airport is also used annually as part of that town's celebrations.

Cudal airport is still there for our use but is only suitable for test and tune due to length and lack of runoff.

[Greg Watters]

Doesn't have to be a full mile, longer is better but Houston is doing well with a 1/2 mile
http://www.houstonmile.com/

we could probably get a 1000m event with adequate braking area without too much problem, the issues are selecting the site and getting the ball rolling with insurance etc

[David Leikvold]

I watched the videos before I read the FAQ's and Driver Requirements. For a minute there I was thinking they didn't even need to wear any safety gear at all. They must be really good drivers! Silly me !
Half a mile plus braking room would increase our list of potential venues. Again, none are anything like our traditional Speedweek but they don't have to be, it's just a way to knock the cobwebs off the race cars and bikes. You don't have to have corrosion issues to be having fun .

Cheers
Dave

[zork]

The Houston Mile looks like it caters for late model off the shelf/street vehicles? Going by the entry list. Is that where this is going?

As for 1000 meters we have a couple here in SA and they are elsewhere, its called a drag strip. Its the new form of drag racing.

[David Leikvold]

Zork,

It looks like Houston attracts the same crowd as the Mojave Mile and "Airstrip Attack" at Trano Airport in California, people with very fast road cars looking for somewhere to use them as they were intended but who don't want to run them on salt. The YouTube videos from the Mojave Mile and Trano don't show any dedicated salt vehicles at all. I know the Mojave Mile organisers specifically preclude streamliners but they are expecting more dedicated salt vehicles, such as lakesters, to turn up now that they allow push trucks. Of course, there will always be people over there who don't want to run on anything but salt but that's OK too, the Mojave,Texas Mile, ECTA and other racers aren't short of entries anyway. Most of them limit the entry numbers so that everyone gets a fair go.

I don't think that's "where this is going". Yet. Right now we're just looking for somewhere to use DLRA vehicles. If a good bitumen venue with a race length of at least half a mile (a mile would be much better) is eventually found and has the capacity to run big numbers of competitors then I'm sure we would start to attract a crowd of competitors from other forms of motorsport. We may even get car clubs turning up with their Ferraris and such. The Mojave Mile organisers run a class for absolutely standard super cars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, etc. But until we find such venues it's all pie in the sky stuff.

If we could get access to Woomera airstrip approved for the same time as Speedweek we would have an almost perfect back up plan. It's closer to Port Augusta than Lake Gairdner is. If the salt was too wet we could all just drive to Woomera instead and have a one mile bitumen Speedweek for a change. Sure beats a cancellation. When the drought eventually returns, as it surely will, Lake Gairdner will be dry and hard much more often and everyone will be happy again.

Cheers
Dave

[zork]

Ahoy Dave, I am hope it isnot going that way....yet.
As for Woomera I think you will have jackshit chance as it is a still operational RAAF base ( International )...Emergency landing for Shuttle and US bombers etc as I said before. Will not find much info on it, but a bit of Wiki maybe.
RAAF Woomera Airfield (IATA: UMR, ICAO: YPWR) is an operational Royal Australian Air Force airfield located 4 km north of the Woomera Defence Village, in South Australia. Operational management of the airfield (and its satellite airfield "Evetts Field") is under the command and control of Headquarters, RAAF Woomera Test Range (which is located approximately 450 km south-east of Woomera, at RAAF Base Edinburgh near Adelaide). The airfield is an integral part of the aerospace test and evaluation role the RAAF Woomera Test Range provides for Australia. There are full time operational staff at Woomera supporting airfield operations, but access to the field is controlled through HQ WTR in Adelaide.

Normally, civilian aircraft are not given permission to use the airfield unless such use is related to Defence activities at Woomera. Full airfield details and points of contact are contained in the En-Route Supplement Australia (ERSA).

RAAF Woomera is able to operate all current types of aircraft used by the ADF, including C-17 Globemasters and all fast-jet types. The airfield can be fitted with an arrestor cable system when required to bring it to normal RAAF operating standards for FA-18 Hornet operations.

The airfield is also well able to handle larger aircraft types such as the C-5 Galaxy and Boeing 747. Large aircraft movements occur often at Woomera in support of ADF test and evaluation activities on the Range.

[edit] Historical