This Is Gonna Be Awesome...

Afternoon thunderstorms threatened... but held off long enough for the first public demonstration flight of a rocket racer at AirVenture Tuesday.

Just after 2:30pm Central Daylight Time, the DKNY Bridenstine Rocket Racer lifted off from Wittman Regional Airport with former NASA astronaut Rick Searfoss at the controls. Constrained by low ceilings, Searfoss nevertheless gave the AirVenture crowd a good look at the speed, sound and fiery tail that will characterize this new sport.

With PA system commentary provided by Rocket Racing League CEO Granger Whitelaw, Searfoss put the XCOR-powered Velocity canard through graceful climbs and arcs in the sky, helping onlookers to imagine what it will be like when they can follow along on giant video screens which display the virtual course gates competitors will see in actual races.

The crowd responded with applause, and an occasional giggle when the XCOR engine made its characteristic "toot" at shutdown. The racers carry only four minutes of fuel, so periods of gliding, punctuated by raucous in-flight restarts, will be part of the rocket racing excitement.

The demonstration ended in a clean dead-stick landing, and AirVenture attendees walked away from the flightline discussing what they'd just seen.

The demo also marked the first public glimpse at new designer flight suits and team apparel from DKNY Men. The Bridenstine racer is the first team to secure corporate sponsorship.

The rocket racer will fly again Friday and Saturday at 2:30 pm both days, to open the airshow.

FMI: www.airventure.org, www.rocketracingleague.com