profession: pilot career: actor - Jet Aviation

Raceway in the sky -
Simulation of pilot’s
heads-up display
see via 3D displays in their helmets. Spec-
tators can view both the track and the ra-
cing action on large projection screens at
the live event, as well as at home on their
televisions or computers.
The idea for the Rocket Racing League
came from Granger Whitelaw, a two-time
member and co-owner of Indianapolis
The first racer equipped with the Armadillo rocket engine ready for the first flight
500 winning teams, and Peter Diamandis,
the founder of the X-Prize foundation.
Much of the business plan is modeled on
the National Association for Stock Car
Auto Racing (NASCAR), but the league is
about much more than just going fast. “It’s
about putting on a good show,” says
Whitelaw, who is responsible for management
and operations. “And it’s also about
testing parts. A big part of what we do is
developing new technologies.”
The league showed its aircraft in January
at La Bella Macchina, an event hosted
every year in Palm Beach, Florida by
Jet Aviation that showcases aircraft, fast
cars and other luxury items. Then the
first Rocket Racer exhibition flight was
held in August 2008 at the EAA AirVenture
in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The league
will continue exhibition flights through the
end of 2009, after which it plans to begin
races for points and money.
The Rocket Racing League will hold between
six and 10 races at different locations
across the country, with each race
featuring up to 10 Rocket Racers. The
planes will compete in a four- to six-lap,
multiple-elimination heat format, and
each racing event is expected to take
about an hour and a half. At every event,
points will be awarded to the top three finishers,
and the league champion will be
the pilot who earns the most overall points
at the end of the regular season. At present,
there are six teams registered with
the league.
First flights
Jim Bridenstine’s team was the first to join
the league. Bridenstine is a former Navy
Outlook 02/2008
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