Imagine sitting in the stands, seeing nearly a dozen shiny, oddly shaped planes on the runway, with people running around, and white vapors visible blowing across the tarmac with the sun backlighting the clouds. Suddenly, a few of the planes explode to life with a bright white flame and a deep hiss emating from beneath them as they zip down the runway and begin flying, racing each other in invisible paths at 300+ miles an hour. 

This is the Rocket Racing League! Powered by liquid oxygen and ethanol or kerosene, with enough propellant for a burn time of about 4 minutes, the racers will need fuel and energy management, gliding through large sections of the course, and restarting the engines to blast and power through turns and passing other racers through the expected hour long race. After about 10 or so minutes of flight, the pilots land, refuel, and take off again to jump back into the race.

The rocket planes cost less than 1 million USD each. The racers are a Velocity airframe, which is derived from a commercially-available kit plane similar to the Rutan Long-EZ, which has been modified to accept rocket power and custom avionics.

It’s expected that the racetrack will be 3 dimensional, 2 miles long, a mile wide and about a quarter mile or 1500 high at the base, and perhaps 2000 ft elevation at the top of the track. The pilots will see superimposed track guides that resemble the technology used in american football to mark scrimmage and down markers in their visors, and spectators will see the same guides superimposed on giant TV screens at the race (imagine the Red Bull Air Races without the toilet paper pylons). Each racer will have a separate track to follow but the courses will be close together to build the excitement. Viewers at home will be able to see the race and the virtual track guides as well, and through several camera angles, like on the wings, helmet mounted, and trackside views. There’s even a computer game is planned (an early version of this game is already available at www.rocketracingleague.com) which will interface with racer position data in real time over the internet, allowing players to virtually compete with the rocket pilots. How cool is that!?

The takeoffs will be staggered to keep constant action in the air. Pilots take off in pairs a few minutes apart, they will be competing against the clock but will maneuver around each other much like NASCAR. 

At time of posting, there are six teams competing in the first race; Rocket Star Racing, Team Extreme Rocket Racing, Canada-based Beyond Gravity Rocket Racing, Bridenstine Rocket Racing, Santa Fe Racing and Thunderhawk Rocket Racing. 

It’s expected that like NASCAR, the RRL will have a nationwide circuit, allowing more viewers to see the race. some esitmates suggest as many as 400,000+ people will be at these races. There’s no set date for the racing league to officially have its first season but I’ve heard that it may be as soon as 2009 or 2010. I’ve also heard that the only thing holding them back from going full tilt racing is the FAA certification on the rocket motors. Big surprise, right? Oh well, what do you expect? Regardless of when they fly, you can guarantee I’ll be cheering the fliers on!!

Wearing my propeller hat – Jeph