RARA-Banned Aviator Becomes Something Of A Celebrity

Been there. Done that. Now, there's a t-shirt.

The growing controversy over John Parker has produced vocal advocates and defenders, at least one media boycott and a t-shirt. All of this, after the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) suddenly banned Parker from participating in next week's competition. (ANN: "RARA Bans One Of Its Own" -- Aug. 25, 2003)

The t-shirt says, "Free John Parker." It's already being distributed to air racing fans and Parker proteges. Mark "Bear" Daniels, editor of the Reno-based Silver State News, has declined his media credentials and refuses to cover the Reno event. All because of the John Parker controversy. On his website, Daniels writes as a matter of editorial policy, "We will cover only legitimate Air Racing events that are open to everyone. We will not cover 'invitationals' that specifically are not advertised as such. We will not stand idly by while men and women who regularly risk their lives in competition are threatened for exercising their Civil Rights by those abusing their delegated powers.

"We will not cover any event that trivializes the contributions made by Air Racers, Soldiers, Military Retirees or Veterans. We will not participate in any event that displays the pettiness of 'Good Ol' Boy' cliques or the arrogance of 'Nazi-style' behavior.

"We will not participate in any Air Racing event that does not include active competitors on its Executive Boards or Committees, in order to deal with such abuses in the future and to provide oversight for prevention of the same.

"We will not provide coverage to the Reno Air Races until they start doing what's right by John Parker, along with all the other Air Racers and Air Racing's fans."

What's The Beef?

In an interview with ANN, Daniels said the Parker controversy has put RARA's credibility somewhere below that of professional wrestling. "Fans are being deceived," he said. "They think this is a wide-open, full-bore competition between the best pilots in the world. It's not. With Parker out of the race, he said, the Sport Class race will probably default to Daryl Greenameyer.

"It's a cakewalk for Greenameyer," Daniels told ANN. "With Parker out, Greenameyer will throttle back his Lancair. It's not his fault. But the fans want an all-out air race. Professional wrestling is actually more competitive."

As ANN has reported, Parker is a tenant at the Reno Stead Airport, home of the Reno Air Races. It's where Parker is in the business of custom-building airplanes and providing speed modifications for air racers.

Parker (above) says he approached the Washoe County Airport Authority about concerns over the dusk-til-dawn closure of Stead during the race event. That, he said, costs him money. Some of the other tenants apparently backed Parker, which led Stead Airport Manager Skip Polak to call a meeting with RARA. After that meeting, Parker got a letter from RARA CEO Mike Houghton, banning him from competition during next week's 2003 event. The letter was titled, "Tenant Issues."

John Parker, career soldier, air racer, grandfather, is no stranger to controversy. Daniels said Parker's American Air Racing Special was once disqualified in an argument about aircraft specifications. Parker was a rebel in the 1977 breakup (and eventual demise) of the United States Air Racing Association (USARA) over aircraft specifications. But a controversial past, said Daniels, speaking from inside Parker's Stead hangar, is no excuse for RARA to ban one of its top competitors. Neither is a current dissent regarding tenants' rights at Stead.

Daniels speculated, "John has them over a barrel somehow. He's found something that could shut down the air races." That, suggests Daniels, is why RARA has not only sanctioned Parker for 2003, but has refused to explain its actions to race fans. "To explain their actions," Daniels said, "might expose their Achille's Heel."

Houghton Interview

ANN has tried repeatedly to contact RARA CEO Mike Houghton, whom Daniels described as a "decent guy who's being told what to do." Houghton has not replied to ANN's inquiries. But Daniels last week secured an interview with Houghton, posting the transcript on his website:

Silver State News: Today’s August 29th, 2003, this is an interview with Mike Houghton, President and CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association, and we’ll just go ahead and jump into the fray here, because there’s a controversy going on between one of the airport tenants, who’s also a racer – John Parker – and the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA), in regards to a dispute over airport closure is my understanding…is that correct?

Mike Houghton: "That’s Mr. Parker’s challenge, apparently. We don’t close the airport."

Silver State News: The Airport Manger has confirmed that. What is your position that your banning John Parker…as a matter of fact, what is RARA’s position?

Mike Houghton: "We haven’t banned John Parker. We have not invited John Parker to participate in the races this year and we feel that, as an organization, we have a right and an obligation to protect the organization where we feel the organization and the function of running the Air Races is at risk. And we feel that Mr. Parker has taken some activities that do place us in a position of risk in the short and the longer term, and we therefore decided we don’t want to invite him to race."

Silver State News: What are the activities that he’s involved in that are putting you at risk?

Mike Houghton: "That’s an issue between Mr. Parker and the Air Races and that’s been stated in a letter to him and it’s also been discussed in a meeting with him."

Silver State News: Well, I have a copy of the letter here, indicating that "The decision is non-negotiable as the Executive Committee had recently heard that you have personally made attempts to interfere with the relationship between the Reno Air Races and the Airport Authority of Washoe County (AAWC), as well as tenants at Stead Airport." And John is mystified….he does not know what is going on.

Mike Houghton: "John Parker has had a meeting with me and several discussions and we’ve discussed a lot of the issues. And John may not be willing to admit that he knows what they are, that’s John’s challenge. But our issue is with John."

Silver State News: Now, Lee Dodd – was he "un-invited" – what was the case with him? He was trying to lease an airplane from John Parker at cost…

Mike Houghton: "I have had conversations with Mr. Dodd and I have told him he is invited, he is more than welcome to participate at the Reno Air Races."

Silver State News: And what about the Glasair, Race 300, that he wanted to race?

Mike Houghton: "Who’s airplane is that?"

Silver State News: That’s John Parker’s.

Mike Houghton: "Mr. Parker as an owner is not invited to participate."

Silver State News: Okay, what about (Dodd) as a "lessor?" I mean, he would not be…I mean, he’s just leasing the airplane to another team."

Mike Houghton: "No. The documents as they were submitted to the Reno Air Racing Association were from Mr. Parker. It wasn’t from Mr. Dodd."

Silver State News: You indicate, apparently, that you cannot go into the specific reasons as to…beyond this as to why…

Mike Houghton: "It’s not a public issue. We’re not going to do that."

Silver State News: According to the Airport Manager, a tenant had asked for a review of the safety issue involving leaving the Airport open during race week. He indicated that RARA was not that tenant. Is RARA involved in providing information as far as the decision goes?

Mike Houghton: "Which decision?"

Silver State News: As far as closing the airport.

Mike Houghton: "That’s the Airport Manager’s decision."

Silver State News: We understand that.

Mike Houghton: "And the FAA."

Silver State News: We understand that and we understand that the FAA (was involved).

Mike Houghton: "We don’t disagree with that and we think it is a hazard – it’s a hazard to Aviation. Anyone in their right mind who is not familiar with this particular airport, or who even is, is going to look out there on the ramp at night, and understand that there are certain hazards that I don’t think a responsible individual – such as the Airport Manager – should subject people to. So he’s made the decision to close the Airport and we don’t disagree with that."

Silver State News: And I can understand…

Mike Houghton: "…but it’s his decision, Mark."

Silver State News: …yeah, I understand that too, because he’s made that clear. It’s the "Airport Manager’s decision; the Airport’s decision;" and he says that you guys are not responsible for the decision, and he said that you guys "were not the tenant asking for the review of the safety decision."

Mike Houghton: "No, we weren’t."

Silver State News: Okay – so why is there a beef between yourself and Parker over Tenant Right’s issues?

Mike Houghton: "We’ve never said that there were Tenant Rights issues. We said that there were issues with Mr. Parker, and we’ve discussed some of those issues with Mr. Parker."

Silver State News: Always been an invitational?

Mike Houghton: "…based on the Air Race Association. The Air Race Association has not invited other racers to participate in the past. It’s nothing new. As the promoter and producer, owner and operator of the Association, the Board of Directors has the right to invite or not invite anyone to participate."

Silver State News: But according to the Rules, the Racing organization – the event – invites the Classes, and the protocol is that the Classes are supposed to invite all qualified pilots – the competition is supposed to be open to "all qualified pilots."

Mike Houghton: "Except RARA reserves the right to invite or not invite anyone they choose. And that’s in the Rules of Competition."

Silver State News: Again, could you cite the exact Rule? (We look through the documents on the table. Silver State News came equipped with a May 13, 2004, revision. Prior to the meeting, Mr. Houghton informed Editor Mark S. Daniels that he had the wrong set of Rules…that a new revision existed. Mr. Houghton produced a new set of the 2003 Official Rules of Competition with a revision date of July 11, 2003, an edition change occurring two months after the May 13th revision, and twelve days before RARA sent Parker his letter of July 23, 2003, in which he was "uninvited" due to a tenant dispute that RARA had with him over the exercise of his Tenant Rights.)

Silver State News: That’s the old one; here’s the new one…

Mike Houghton: (Reads from the July 11, 2003, revision:) "RARA reserves the right to invite or exclude any aircraft, pilot or owner."

Silver State News: Which one?

Mike Houghton: "(Item) F. It was formalized this year. However, even though it wasn’t written…it has been enforced or invoked before by RARA, so it’s the Rules of Competition as written by the organization, and the organization can apply, interpret or do what they feel is in the best interest of the event and the organization, and that’s what they’ve done in the past."

Changing The Rules

Daniels told ANN, "John only had the 5/13 edition" of the RARA rules. "My firm belief is, they disinvited him, then developed the rule after the fact and backdated it." Again, ANN hasn't been able to establish contact with Houghton to get his version of that allegation.

While Daniels has decided his webzine won't cover the Reno Air Races this year, he doesn't suggest readers boycott the event. Instead, he urges them to attend this week's event. "It's time for RARA to hear from the fans. We're saying, 'show up, introduce yourself and tell a RARA representative what fans stand for -- and what they won't stand for in the way of misconduct.'"

FMI: www.silverstatenews.com, www.airrace.org