EAA Sport Aviation - September 2011

are penalty points for deviations from those estimates. Like golf, the lowest score wins.

When you leave Hayward you must fly a specific departure route that takes you over a mandatory start point, where rally officials on the ground start your time by noting the rally number on your aircraft. Today, your first stop is Redding (RDD), California, but en route you have to fly over and identify three precise checkpoints. For example, checkpoint No. 1 is N 37° 43. 41’ W 120° 53. 40’. Yes, they also give it to you as Peterson Airport (CA17). At that checkpoint they ask you the question (it’s in your POH), “At the west end of the runway, how many T-hangars are just southwest of ‘Hawke’ on the white concrete pad?” You are given a minimum overfly altitude for each checkpoint and, of course, are to monitor the rally frequency. Circling or “rooting around” looking for the checkpoint is discouraged; besides, that just throws off your original estimates. You’re beginning to get the drift (no pun intended), right? This rally is about accurate planning and flying. And it’s about challenge—something from which all pilots can benefit.

Before you start feeling the pressure, let me interject something here: This is a competition, for sure, but it’s a friendly competition. There’s a lot of camaraderie involved, and a lot of good information is exchanged in the process. The whole experience serves to make you a better pilot, and you gain a bunch of new, like-minded friends in the process. It’s all to the good!