Originally published at: RARA Announces Refunds After Race Classes Withdraw - AVweb
National Championship Air Races move forward with five divisions and discounted tickets.
Oh RARA. Your “support” for fans and their wallets hasn’t changed. It’s all about the money, money, money…
Why did they pull out?
There is always more to the story.
Bobbi Thompson is on the Board of Directors of RARA. She became the airport Manager of “KROW” Roswell, NM. This occurred after her contract as “KMEV” Minden Tahoe Airport Manager was not renewed with Douglas County, NV after 12 years. The local residents and tenants of Minden Tahoe Airport petitioned Douglas County not to renew the Airport Management Contract with “ABS” which Bobbie Thompson also served on as one of the Board of Directors.
So there is a pattern here which is not a good look. Promises are made and not kept. As long as the money flows so do the promises flow with it. But promises are not performance. Performance over time is our only true measure of a promise/contract. Minden Tahoe Airport had enough of that.
Minden, Tahoe Airport is 40miles south of Reno Stead Airport, sadly the previous home of the Reno Air Races.
AirNav
KROW - Roswell Air Center Airport
Manager: BOBBI THOMPSON
1 JERRY SMITH CIR
ROSWELL, NM 88203-8427
Phone 239-980-5114
RARA is still the Acronym by a circumstance of fate, or is it by design?
Why Roswell, NM? There were other choices which were better.
One very good choice was Wendover, UT with 2 runways, no obstructions. Right on Interstate 80 on UT/NV state line with Casinos, hotel rooms and restaurants.
Also the community caters to Bonneville Salt Flats and SpeedWeek.
There is so much synergy with the History of Wendover Air Base and the
SpeedWeek event that it is mind boggling WARA was not the new Acronym.
But maybe Wendover Airport “KENV” would not fall for the Airport Mgr Scandal? These are just the ramblings and thoughts of a pilot once under a dark cloud of a previous Airport Mgr scandal with, same names and same games who spoke out for change and got it.
RARA needs to wake up. The Air Races have a shelf life. These smart people are not going to be used for others selfish reasons. It is about history and the pinnacle of propeller driven performance period. The air races have to make money to continue and should. But new people and new ideas need to be given their day on the ramp! I am for WARA with new names and new faces to go with it.
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