Permits Rocket Powered Aircraft Flights At Over 20 Venues In
US
The Rocket Racing League has announced that it has been granted
an Experimental Exhibition Certificate from the FAA for the
first of its next-generation Rocket Racer that has been selected as
the baseline design for the fleet moving forward. This
exhibition type certification marks the first time in the FAA's
history that a production level rocket powered aircraft has been
cleared to perform exhibition flight demonstrations at over 20
venues across the US .
The DKNY Bridenstine Rocket Racer vehicle, built on a
Velocity Aircraft airframe and equipped with liquid oxygen (LOX)
& alcohol engines manufactured by Armadillo Aerospace, was
used in test flights to demonstrate the Rocket Racer's stability,
safety, performance and reliability to the FAA.
"I would like to personally thank the FAA for their assistance
through this process", said Granger Whitelaw, Rocket Racing League
Chief Executive Officer. "This historic moment was built upon the
unprecedented cooperation between our company, Armadillo Aerospace,
and the FAA. The League will now move forward with solidifying
venues for its 2009 Exhibition season and be on course for the
official race season in 2010."
The league plans to work with show, airport and local FAA
authorities to select 8 venues from the more than 20 that have been
approved by the FAA. Among the venues approved by the FAA for the
Rocket Racers include: National Championship Air Races and Air
Show, Reno, Nevada; Miramar Air Show, San Diego, California; Las
Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Aviation
Nation, Las Vegas, Nevada; Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo,
Sebring, Florida; McGuire Air Force Base Airshow, Wrightstown, New
Jersey; Igor I Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Bridgeport, Connecticut;
Oklahoma Spaceport, Burns Flat, Oklahoma; Spirit of St Louis
Airport, St Louis, Missouri; Wings and Wheels Fly-in, Sheboygan,
Wisconsin; Lackland AirFest, San Antonio, Texas; Langley Air Force
Base Air Show, Hampton, Virginia; EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh,
Wisconsin; NAS JAX Air Show, Jacksonville, Florida; Albert Whitted
Airport, St Petersburg, Florida; Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain
View, California; Mojave Air & Space Port, Mojave, California;
New York Air Show at Jones Beach, Farmingdale, New York; Caddo
Mills Municipal Airport, Caddo Mills, Texas; Majors Airport,
Greenville, Texas; Grayson County Airport, Sherman/Denison, Texas;
Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, Fort Worth, Texas.
Founded in 2005 by two-time Indianapolis 500 winning team
partner Granger Whitelaw and X PRIZE Chairman and CEO Peter H.
Diamandis, MD, the Rocket Racing League (RRL ) is a new
entertainment sports league that combines the exhilaration of
racing with the power of rocket engines. To be held at venues
across the country, the Rocket Racing League will feature multiple
races pitting up to 10 Rocket Racers going head to head in a 4-lap,
multiple elimination heat format on a 5-mile "Formula One"-like
closed circuit raceway in the sky.
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