AIR RACES BROADCAST LIVE FOR FIRST TIME EVER
AUGUST 17, 2009 - Live AirShow TV, in conjunction with the Reno National Championship Air Races, is celebrating the centennial of air racing with the world's first-ever live video feed on Sunday, September 20. This history-making broadcast will cover the action of the world's fastest sport, including the championship races in all classes, a performance by the United States Navy Blue Angels, other top air show acts and the National Aviation Heritage Invitational competition.
"We did a live audio stream last year", says Reno Air Racing Association President/CEO Mike Houghton. "The fans really loved it, but they really wanted to see the live racing action from the World's Fastest Motor Sport. With the economic challenges many people have this year, we are excited to have found a way for them to see Sunday's Gold Racing finals live."
Directing the event will be Live AirShow TV's President, Jeff Lee. "We're taking what Live AirShow TV has done at air shows earlier in the year and applying that to the enormous scope that is the Reno Air Races", says Lee. "This is really an experiment which we hope fills a need for those who appreciate the remarkable skill and daring of these competitors."
The Live AirShow TV production team includes production veterans with a passion for air racing. Producer Mark Allen is a documentary producer and commentator for air racing programs on ESPN, Discovery Wings Channel and Speedvision and has hundreds of motorsports production credits. Airshow video specialist Mark Magin, of OnBoard Images, is providing LIVE cockpit cameras in some race planes to give viewers the incredible sensation of speed and precision from the pilot's point of view. Magin's cameras will also be in airshow performer David Martin's Breitling CAP 232.
"The only way we can pull off this ambitious broadcast is to make this a Pay Per View event," Lee said. "A significant portion of the proceeds are being returned to Reno Air Racing to help insure this unique event can continue forever."
Live worldwide Internet coverage will begin at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (1700 GMT) and continue until racing ends at approximately 4:30 p.m. local time.
"We all realize that there's nothing like being here on the ramp, or down in the pits", said Houghton, "but this is the next best thing."
