Early Morning Concurrent Session: Aviation Management and Operations: Presentation: Analysis of Factors Related to True Airspeed (TAS) Calculation Utilizing the Handicap Procedure for the 2015 Women's Air Race Classic

Abstract

Verbatim from Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

In most post-WWII cross country air racing events, the “handicap” method of determining race scoring is utilized. A typical example is the Women’s Air Race Classic transcontinental annual competition. In such races, an aircraft competes against its own established maximum True Airspeed (TAS) and all race aircraft entries are ranked based on how much faster than this speed they are able to achieve through adjusting route, altitude, etc. Use of this method allows aircraft with very different maximum speeds to for the most part, have equal chances of winning a given race with the emphasis moved from the fastest aircraft to best piloting skill. All contestants in the annual Women’s Air Race Classic (ARC) must complete a “handicap” flight to establish maximum TAS in specified conditions in as close to race configuration as possible. The goal of this study is to analyze factors impacting TAS under this specified configuration by using information obtained from the Flight Data Monitoring program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ. This data is from the C-172S Nav III utilized by the authors for the 2015 Women’s Air Race Classic as recorded by the Garmin G1000 data logging system.

Authors

• Diels, Erica A Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Schindler, Claire Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Keywords

• Aviation
• Aviation Management and Operations
• Air Race Classic
• Women's Air Race Classic
• True Airspeed
• TAS
• Aviation
• Management and Operations
• Multi-Vehicle Systems and Air Traffic Control