From his years of experience in the Air Force and Air Force Reserves as a fighter pilot, Robert “Bobaloo” Rickard has earned his right to compete in the Rocket Racing League. When he was in kindergarten, Bobaloo’s interests in aerospace began to grow. After graduating high school, he joined the Air Force ROTC and began his military training. In addition to being a pilot, Bobaloo is the CEO of Leading Edge Rocket Racing. In this interview, Richard Kirkpatrick interviews Bobaloo in his premier interview for Rockets Away!

Can you tell us how you first became interested in aerospace as a possible career? What inspired you initially for aerospace as a possible career?

My father was a private pilot when I was young. I would sit on his lap and fly our small Grumman Yankee my brother and I named “Speedy”. I don’t remember it, but I drew a picture of this plane for a kindergarten class project and wrote the words “when I grow up, I want to be a pilot”. This was uncovered a few years ago when going through some of my mothers old boxes of stuff. As I grew up and went to high school, my interests centered on being an electrical engineer. I was totally focused on doing this in college and got accepted at my college of choice to do just that. At my high school graduation party, my Uncle, who was a recruiter in the Air Force, told my parents and me about the ROTC program at the university. My parents loved the idea for the scholarship potential, and I obliged.

In the summer before junior year, I went to an Air Force base for the official physical to enter the advanced ROTC program that actually carries a commitment. The flight doc who checked me out asked me, “Son, what are you going to do in the AF?” I told him I was going to be an electrical engineer. He counseled me and told me that the AF was for pilots, and to seriously consider going for a pilot slot in the ROTC program. I thought long and hard about it, and realized how right he was, and how I had forgotten how much I loved flying. I took the doc’s advice, and applied for a pilot slot the next week – and got it. I really owe that flight doc - whoever he is.

What kind of success have you had as a pilot? What kind of assignments really blew you away?

My success as a pilot in the Air Force and now AF Reserves has been extremely rewarding. I applied for the pilot slot in 1988 when the AF was drawing down on pilots and the number of new pilots was extremely low. I was fortunate to get one of only 2 slots that year from my college. When I went to pilot training, only 12 of the original 21 students in my starting class graduated with me, and only half of us got flying assignments leaving pilot training. I was fortunate to get the only fighter – an F-16. It was the greatest achievement of my life up until then.

When I went to F-16 school in ’92, I took an assignment to Kunsan Air Base, Korea. I was a “punk”, a brand new lieutenant eager to learn how to fly hard and play hard as a fighter pilot. I managed to be upgraded to flight lead in less than 1 year, which was a great thrill for me.

My next big success came at my next assignment at Shaw AFB, in South Carolina. I was awarded the “Flight Lead of the Year” for the 20th Fighter wing which included 4 fighter squadrons in 1996, and then won “instructor pilot of the year” for the wing the very next year. It was the greatest achievement of my life until then.

I ended up going back to the same base in Korea 3 years later in 1998, this time as a captain, flight lead, and instructor pilot. Going back to the same base and teaching the “punks” the way I learned as a Lieutenant was fun, and I flew a lot more as an instructor because the AF was now short on pilots and hiring a ton of young lieutenants. I managed to win 2 big flying competitions on the base at the same time and was noticed by the wing commander, who pushed me to put in an application for the Air Force Weapons School. I was accepted and went to Nellis AFB after Korea assignment #2 to attend this school.

The Weapons School is the PhD level school for fighter pilots. It originated just for fighter pilots, and has grown to encompass almost every major weapons system in the AF in the past few years. It is the most comprehensive, challenging, and prestigious flying course in the world. I was very fortunate to have been selected and graduate from this course, which is 6 months long, and it has been the greatest achievement of my life. It has also been the most rewarding. The credibility that is gained by graduating from this school has opened many doors both inside and outside of the Air Force, and I could not have achieved as much as I have without it.

What kind of challenges have you faced in your career?

I faced the challenge of being away from my wife, literally being out of the country and separated from her for 4 ½ years of our first 6 years in the Air Force was very challenging. Her support then and now is a huge factor in my success. Even today, with my hectic schedule of running four companies and flying part time for the AF Reserves, I could not get it all done without her awesome support.

What was your most dangerous experience as a pilot?

My most dangerous experience as a pilot was on my 3rd ride in the F-16. I took off in a 2 seat F-16 with an instructor in my back seat, and the engine failed just 5 miles from the base. I landed the jet at a nearby civilian airport with no engine and saved the airplane, avoiding having to eject. The training I received prior to ever stepping in the jet saved the airplane and may have saved the lives of myself and my instructor pilot.

You must realize that actual Rocket Racing may entail new and unanticipated dangers, owing to its newness and you and your associate as being the first in line- how do you feel about that level of challenge?

We wouldn’t attempt something if it wasn’t challenging. Doing things that are easy is boring! Having said that, we don’t take unnecessary risks, and we are quite confident that the rocket aircraft will be very safe to fly. Flying is inherently dangerous, because mistakes can kill you much more than riding a bike or driving a car. But our training and flight discipline are second to none, and we will approach this challenge with both the respect and the dedication it requires to make it successful.

NASCAR racing has entailed a lot of celebrity and promotion for the drivers. Do you expect the same kind of accolade and celebrity in this sport?

The pilots of the Rocket Racing League will be worldwide celebrities. There is no doubt. The vision of racing rocket powered aircraft will capture the imagination of many people, who will want to know as much as they can about the pilots that fly them. As the aircraft and boundaries of this sport are pushed technologically, so will the prestige and celebrity. Its going to be an awesome thing to create and witness!

NASCAR racing is quite a bit funded by sponsors. What kind of sponsorship do you expect and what have you lined up?

This sport is a hybrid between airshow performance and professional racing. The major advantage we have is two-fold. First, this is a sport that the entire family can watch, with small children and their grandparents all equally amazed and enthused. The demographic audience could not be bigger. Secondly, the combination of live entertainment coupled with the internet gaming technology will bring aspects of sponsorship not available in any other racing sport. This can only mean great things for the teams in the RRL as well as the companies who desire worldwide exposure to an exciting sport that has never existed before.

What training methods do you use to prepare for upcoming races? What is the closest thing you’ve experienced to rocket racing to date?

The training will initially be centered on how to fly the airplane through the entire performance envelope, as well as landing under no forward power. Because the rocket engine cannot be going when pilots want to land, every landing will be a glide landing. Getting this approach and landing skill down will be a big part of racing as well as safety.

Dag and I fly the F-16 part time for the Reserves, so we get to experience the thrill of high performance flying on a regular basis. But a jet engine runs out of air the higher you go, and the rocket just keeps on pushing. I cannot wait to experience flight above the F-16’s performance envelope in years to come.

What safety measures are you and your team taking to insure the safety of spectators and yourself?

The most important aspect of racing is safety. The safety of the pilots as well of the spectators will be the highest priority in every singe facet of this endeavor. We will enlist the experts in each aspect of racing course design, aircraft performance, rocket engine use, etc. This sport cannot exist without the uncompromised commitment to safety.

Picture courtesy of Bobaloo.

As Dag "Dagger" Grantham relates to us, his interests in aerospace began with Star Wars. Later in his life, these dreams would come together for him in the U.S. Air Force- and, even more amazingly, as one of the world's first rocket racing pilots. Richard Kirkpatrick interviews Dagger in another exclusive interview with Rockets Away!

What prompted you to look into an aerospace career? What were the earliest inspirations?

It was a combination of things. I saw “Star Wars” when I was six years old and thought that I wanted to be just like Luke Skywalker flying the X-Wing Fighter. Shortly after that, I began accompanying my father on trips across Georgia in chartered twin- engine aircraft when he would travel for meetings. Over time, I worked up the courage to ask if I could sit in the right seat and then began asking for ‘stick’ time. During all of this, I also saw the movie “The Right Stuff”.

The seed was firmly planted to be a pilot in the Air Force – and a fighter pilot, no less. Meanwhile, my parents had attended a conference in Colorado Springs, CO where my mother took a tour of the US Air Force Academy. She grabbed every piece of marketing literature she could get her hands on. Needless to say, by the time “Top Gun” hit the screen in 1986, I was officially focused on getting my wings.

Tell us about your career as a pilot and some of your most important experiences?

I was very fortunate in my Air Force career to have been in assignments with outstanding leaders and mentors to foster my development as a skilled aviator and as a leader of men. As a student in the F-16, I flourished under the tutelage of then Capt Scott ‘Schlonger’ Long. More often than not, he took extra time to assist me with any questions or confusion that I had in my training. He was also the type of instructor who knew just how much ‘rope’ to let me have without hanging myself. I have always told people that I am the fighter pilot that I am today because of Scott Long. As fate would have it, I had the opportunity to be Schlonger’s instructor pilot on a sortie when he was returning to the cockpit after a non-flying tour of duty. Despite his time away from the cockpit, I didn’t teach him much, just helped him ‘remember’ all the stuff he had taught me.

Once operational in the F-16, I joined the 69th Fighter Squadron “Werewolves” at Moody AFB in Valdosta, GA. Shortly after being at Moody, there were several changes of command in the senior leadership. The men who led the 347th Fighter Wing and Operations Group for the majority of the time I was there were some of the finest to have ever served in the US Military. Their ranks have changed over time, but to me they were Brigadier General L.D. Johnston, Colonel Billy Diehl, and Colonel Mark ‘Boomer’ Welsh. Serving under these men was an honor and a privilege. In my mind, I will always carry the vision of L.D. addressing a room filled with several hundred officers, both pilots and support personnel, without a microphone. Everyone knew that if L.D. was talking it was worth listening to, so there we sat, quiet as we could, perched on the edges of our seats, ears perked – listening to the MAN.

By the time he was done, we were so fired up, he had some of the support officers believing they could jump in the jets, takeoff, and defeat the enemy single handedly. He was that good. While at Moody, my immediate commander, my flight commander, was Capt Gary ‘Tinker’ Bell. Tinker was instrumental in taking me from an inexperienced wingman to a 4-ship flight lead in 2.5 years. He wasn’t my flight commander the entire time I was there, but he was the first and the best. The only combat hours I have in the F-16 were earned as a “Werewolf” over the skies of Iraq in 1996 in support of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq. I will always remember those times.

As a ‘Fiend’ in the 36th Fighter Squadron at Osan AB in South Korea, I had the chance to put my flying skills to the test with uncontrolled airspace, typically poor weather, young wingmen, and a never-ending workday. My greatest success in Korea was not becoming a Mission Commander, shooting a target drown down with an AIM-120 air-to-air missile, or even winning Flight Lead of the Quarter from my peers. My greatest success was being in the right place at the right time to assist my wingman when he passed out under excessive G- loads and was accelerating towards the Yellow Sea at over 600 knots. As he came to and realized he was in an airplane, he heard me calling “Pull-up, Pull-up” over the radio. Instinctively, he grabbed the stick and pulled, without being fully aware of his surroundings. One of the greatest sights in my life was to see him climb out of that dive and land back at the base.

My time as an Instructor Pilot in the 56th Fighter Wing was very rewarding. I was fortunate enough to be assigned to the 310th Fighter Squadron ‘Tophats’ and later became the youngest pilot in the wing to be upgraded to the position of Evaluator Pilot. Of the 200 plus instructors in the wing, roughly 40 were evaluator pilots.

For the past 3 years, I have been a part-time Reservist with the 302d Fighter Squadron “Hellions” at Luke AB, AZ. As a whole, our squadron constantly vies for the title of ‘most experienced’ pilots in the USAF. Many of our instructors have over 2000 hours each, creating an average number of hours per pilot that few squadrons can match. I am extremely fortunate to have been selected to be a Hellion and am proud to still be able to serve my country as a reservist.

Most people think of a fighter pilot's career as being quite dangerous. What kind of dangers did you face as a pilot? What was the worst?

None were really all that bad. While they were potentially very bad, the training that I had received was key in dealing with every one of them. I have had emergency situations in every aircraft I have flown for the Air Force, but each time I put my training into action and was able to avert catastrophic situations. That is the same kind of training I have brought into the business world. If there is anything I have learned it is to MAKE A DECISION. If it is a good one, then press on, if it is a bad one, you should revel in the fact that you have been presented with another opportunity to ‘make a decision’ and go about making a better one.

Of course, racing will have its own dangers. Are you prepared for that?

I thrive on challenges. Bobaloo and I wouldn’t be involved with this if we didn’t recognize the inherent challenges ahead and weight the risk versus the reward. We recognize that we have the opportunity to assist in developing a brand new form of competition and excelling at it.

You are entering into a sport which has a lot of analogies with NASCAR racing. Do you think it will be a high profile sport for the drivers?

Yes, I firmly believe that the pilots of the X-Racers will be afforded the same level of celebrity and promotion. I believe that the pilots will have just as much of a competitive nature and illustrious personality to go with it. It will not happen overnight, but we intend to make our pilots a household name.

Where do you think your financial support will come from?

We expect that teams in the RRL will be supported in the same way the majority of motorsports teams are supported – through sponsors and sponsorship packages. However, we believe that what we have to offer sponsors is above and beyond the capabilities of existing motorsports. We are in a position to offer sponsors an audience and an entire industry that is being built and developed as the league is built and developed. The RRL is going to be the exciting, Hollywood, in your face entertainment that will rise in popularity with the rise in popularity of the industry of commercial space travel. The technology we will be developing for the X-Racers will funnel directly into the spacecraft that will take you to the first orbiting hotel in the next 5-10 years. We are on the leading edge of an entire industry that will propel the world into the cosmos, and beyond.

How are you going to train for these races?

All initial training and qualification will be administered by the RRL. Once fully trained, our pilots will work through a series of training flights to better prepare them for the demanding conditions encountered on race day. In addition, our ground crew will be training with them as a ‘team’ because that is how we will win – as a team.

And what's your take on safety- for yourself and your team?

Leading Edge Rocket Racing TM will assist the RRL in course design, rule development, and safety procedures. In addition, we will utilize FAA rules, procedures, and guidelines to create a safe and entertaining race for all of the fans.

Rocket Racing is Coming........ we are the LEADING EDGE!

Picture courtesy of Dagger.

By Dave Gieber, Technical Advisor

I am sure everyone has heard of the Reno Air Races. At least most aviation enthusiasts have. Now the Rocket Racing League (RRL) has created a new form of air racing with a technological twist on racing vehicles.

The RRL and XCOR Aerospace have teamed together to design the first generation of X-racing air going vehicles. XCOR’s EZ-Rocket is the basis for design of the new X-racers. The next generation of racing vehicles will use an airframe provided by Velocity of Sebastian, Florida. And the League's mission is to serve as a technology accelerator in the areas of airframe, propulsion and spacecraft design. The hope is to reach for the future to inspire the next generation of space flight enthusiasts.

The EZ-Rocket is a modified Long-EZ homebuilt aircraft, which had been available to homebuilt aircraft enthusiasts years ago. The aircraft is powered by twin 400 lb. thrust rocket engines. The fuel is comprised of isopropyl alcohol and liquid oxygen. The EZ-Rocket includes an external composite fuel tank and an insulated internal aluminum liquid oxygen tank. The modifications were performed at XCOR Aerospace's Mojave, CA shop.

While based on an existing airframe, the new X- Racers will be modified to carry a 1,500-pound thrust rocket engine, which will burn liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene. Each X-Racer will be a single-pilot vehicle comprising of approximately 1,000 lbs. of empty weight and 1,000 lbs. of propellant weight. The first-generation of Mark-1 X-Racers will reach maximum speeds of more than 320 mph.

As their race car counter parts, X-Racers will have the ability to be rapidly refueled. Initial refueling times will be on the order of 5 to 10 minutes per pit stop. While this is nowhere near the few seconds of an Indy race car, it is expected that each team will continue to develop better technology and faster methods of refueling the vehicle as the Rocket Racing League develops. Ground handling equipment for the propellants and maintenance equipment for the vehicles will be standard for each pit stop. Each vehicle will be capable of approximately 4 minutes of intermittent engine boost and 10 minutes of no power, glided flight. This should allow for 3-4 laps around the course between pit stops.

While yet in its infancy, I expect the Rocket Racing League will supply spectacular excitement to aviators and space flight enthusiasts alike. The X-Racers under development are sort of like hybrids or a cross between current aircraft and spacecraft technology. The first racing competitions will initially take place at approximately 5000 feet above the ground. But as popularity and technology grow, the course may expand to the orbital phase around the Earth. Maybe one day in the not too distant future, the moon will become an anchor point in the race.

Picture 'Courtesy of Rocket Racing League

Please visit our sponsor and explore SpaceDew Today! http://www.SpaceDew.com

Rockets Away! is pleased to let its new readers continue to view the actual flights of SpaceShipOne in a comprehensive Internet broadcast Click Here to Watch the Actual Flights of SpaceShipOne. Help support the X Prize Foundation's continuing efforts to promote entrepreneurship in Space.
 

Rockets Away! Media is committed to the popularization of commercial spaceflight. Unless otherwise specified, the opinions of those quoted in our articles and the links to their or other websites do not necessarily represent the opinions of Rockets Away! Media or its individual members or participants.

As all new and valuable endeavors generally entail controversy, Rockets Away! welcomes the opinions and expertise of its readers on subjects which may command differing points of view. Rockets Away! welcomes all informed responses to subjects related to the developing industry of commercial spaceflight and will print them if space allows, either in the newsletter or the website.