Larry Childs and Roy Domke were my right and left hands before and since Reno 2006. I relied once again on them both and they both came through again flawlessly! Thank you both for all the life time you gave up to see this little Yak go so fast! Thank you for your friendship. We have the most dedicated, cohesive team at the Reno National Championship Air Races.

Reno 2007 was a bittersweet year for Team SteadFast. Gary Hubler, our Alternate Yak pilot, was killed in a midair collision in a Formula 1 race on Friday morning. Fortunately my long time radio Control Buddy, Jason Sommes, who was the other pilot in the collision was O.K. Our hearts go out to Gary and his family. Gary was such a helpful and intelligent pilot, he had just joined our team as alternate pilot on SteadFast and I was looking forward to watching him fly and learning from him.      At Reno 2007, Team SteadFast pulled together and we were able to qualify at 382.827 MPH. This is the fastest SteadFast has gone on the course to date. After searching the record books, we see that we are officially the fastest R2000 powered Yak to fly at Reno. Unofficially, Sam Davis’s Miss Trinidad had turned speeds of 389 MPH but were not recorded due to the attacks of September 11th on the United States. That time was on the old course and using different timing. If the rough equation is used, that time might equate to 399 MPH today. We were clocked occasionally at 391 MPH, which is encouraging.      The distraction of loosing Gary this year was a surprise to me. Couple that with seeing Brad go in with his L39 really got my attention. I really had to buckle down and concentrate on my job, flying. I was occasionally distracted.      This year was about the people whom you meet at Reno. The flying part is great but it’s truly the great people that make you come back. Great to see all you friends!       We were overwhelmed with Grumman Interceptors this year. It seemed like everywhere I looked I was passing or being passed by a Blue Bearcat. Not next year! We are planning on being at Reno 2008. Not only are we going to be there, but we plan on breaking the 400 MPH mark. That is our current goal. Next in line would be to Win the Silver or maybe even bump to the Gold on Sunday.

     Well, that is it for now. It’s time to go take the airplane apart and refine the aerodynamics, make it bigger, stronger, faster. We will soon be starting a race engine program based on an R2000 core sponsored by Aero Union. A new airscoop for more Horsepower, and some more propeller mods are on the books as well. There will be some unmentionable speed mods taking place as well this winter and don’t forget, we are still looking for a sponsor who wants to see this yak in his very own colors.

STAY TUNED!

 

Will Whiteside 

More 2007 photos coming soon!
 

 

Reno 2006 for Team SteadFast was the realization of a dream.

     It was a race season for us that we will try to re-live in future years. In March, 2006 we started with a new, Romanian factory-built airplane that was untested, we had only six months to flight test the Yak and the R&D was not always easy. We came up against a few obstacles that should have kept us out of the races. I was told a few times by some pretty key people involved in our Reno Push that maybe it just would be better, safer, and more practical to just slow down and shoot for next year.

     We had some major setbacks. By the time September came around, the airplane worked perfectly, the crew performed like professionals and we had an excellent go of it. SteadFast actually qualified 19th out of a field of 27 entrants at 363.589 MPH. "We had qualified the first day at 357 MPH but I just wasn’t happy with that speed. I knew there was more left in it and my line had improved as the practice sessions continued. It paid off with an increase in speed of almost seven MPH. The Yakovlev 3U had 2 5th place finishes then on Saturday we won the Bronze race. The team couldn't have been happier. "We had really just hoped to make the field and not get bumped out by faster airplanes, a win was the farthest thing from our minds when we showed up to Reno, Stead."

     With the 1st place on Saturday came being bumped up to the Unlimited Silver race on Sunday. Once again we were beside ourselves with the idea of being a Silver contender, who would have thought it possible? We ended up running behind the Tigercat who was in sixth place the entire race. He was substantially faster than us so I came out of the power just enough to stay ahead of my friends in the two stock P51's running behind us. When the race ended we finished in 7th place Silver which was unbelievable to us. We couldn't have been happier if we had won the Gold.

     In 2007 Team SteadFast's sights are set on turning a 380+MPH qualifying lap in 2007 and trying to get closer to the front of the Silver pack of racers. "We would like to get paint on the airplane but are holding off to secure a sponsor that would like SteadFast in their colors. We have a long list of modifications to make the Yak faster and more reliable. Basically, a better overall sport airplane. That’s the beauty of this short winged little brute, it's an air racer one minute and an airplane you can fly away in for the weekend the next."

     Team SteadFast would like to thank the crew, sponsors and all supporters that made this project and this dream year at Reno a reality. Without every single one of you this little airplane would have never made it.

     Thank you and please keep the sponsorship and support coming. We cannot do this without you.

     Just 1 day prior to departing Santa Rosa for Reno Stead Field in September 2005, Will Whiteside makes a last minute aircraft substitution from the Lancair 360 he had entered, to the Glasair III of C.J. Stephens “INFANT MONKEY”.

     It seems that the gear doors on the Lancair 360MKII were bending downward. Causing too much drag, these gear doors will certainly be ripped off at the high indicated speeds that the Sport Class racers experience coming down the “chute” towards the start pylon as they begin the race. The Glasair is race readied by C.J. and Will, finishing up only hours prior to departure time. This Glasair III was built in 1998 by Stephens and Jim Rhienemer. The engine is a normally aspirated Lycoming IO540 rated at approximately 300+ HP. C.J. believes in the “Lightweight” approach so the interior and all other non-essential items were removed.

     “We Inspected the airplane thoroughly prior to it’s departure to the races. After checking the weather at Stead, the cell phone rang, it was RARA. The voice on the other end of the line said that they had made a mistake in approving my substitution. I had already been assessed the fee for this and as far as my Legal Counsel could tell,(ART VANCE) things would work out! I arrived at Reno and pushed the airplane in the hangar. This would prove be an interesting race year.”

     After Sundays race and after 6 days of practice and 4 days of racing, Will had finished with 3, 2nd place Bronze finishes and 1, 3rd place Bronze finish. Overall TEAM “INFANT MONKEY” finished 2nd in the Sport Class Bronze. They were really happy that out of 80 laps Will had flown within 3 MPH of his fastest lap time. The airplane ran great throughout the week, it never even hiccupped once!