2024 - 60th Annual Hayward Air Rally - Course Information
The 60th Annual Hayward Air Rally was held May 18, 2024. This year's event was a single day, single leg course ending in Livermore.
Congratulations to our 2024 winners:
Race 77 Shawn and Owen Britton
Shawn has now won in back to back years and vaults into Masters Class
Shawn has now won in back to back years and vaults into Masters Class
Special Awards:
Notable notes:
- Race 12 crewmember Zhidao Leeroybruce was our 2019 scholarship winner, our first scholarship awardee to return to compete in the rally!
- Race 6 was our first ever Jet-A entrant, in a diesel DA-40! Aside from the fact we could not calibrate the Jet-A fuel truck, we learned the truck only metered in whole gallons!
- We had 5 rookie teams this year, and 3 returning from last year for a second rally!
Rally statistics (20 competing aircraft):
- Course length - 214.0nm to timing line Hazel (207.3 w/o bonus time points), 238.7nm to LVK
- Fastest on the course (to timing line Hazel) - Race 69, Mooney Ranger, 1:33:18, average speed 133.3 kts (skipped bonus time points)
- Slowest on the course (to timing line Hazel) - Race 13, Beech Sundowner, 2:36:10, average speed 82.2 kts
- Total flight time (to timing line Hazel) - 39:00:23
- Total distance flown (full course to timing line Hazel) - 4280 nm
- Average speed (to timing line Hazel) - 109.7 kts
- Least fuel used - Race 12, Vans RV-12, 12.5 gallons, 19.1 nm/gal
- Most fuel used - Race 9, C-182, 37.1 gallons, 6.4 nm/gal
- Total AvGas pumped - 432.0 gallons (includes 15.0 gal Jet-A from Race 6)
- Total distance flown (full course to LVK) - 4774 nm
- Average fuel efficiency - 11.1 nm/gal
PDFs of the official results and rally materials are available below:
- Official Results
- Raw Data Results
- Checkpoint Answers
- 2024 Rally Course Handbook
- Sample 2024 Rally Scoresheet
Browse the 2024 Photo Gallery
This year's rally course included:
- 1 Start Point (HWD)
- 3 Mandatory Checkpoints
- 1 Optional Bonus Checkpoint
- 2 Optional Bonus Timing points
- 1 Mandatory Timing Point
- 1 End Point (LVK)
The checkpoints, and therefore the course, change every year. The required checkpoints which define the course are announced the day before the race (see the race schedule) at the briefing and are documented in the race book provided to each team. The exact course flown is chosen by the pilot of each aircraft. Remember, this is not a speed race, it is a proficiency event; accuracy counts.
So that prospective racers can get better idea of the materials provided during the briefing, a PDF copy of the 2024 Race Book is available for download here.
Checkpoints are to be overflown by Rally aircraft. Each checkpoint can be adequately identified from the air and a multiple choice question must be answered to prove that you properly identified each checkpoint. The answers to the 2024 checkpoint questions are here.
The mandatory airborne timing point at Checkpoint Hazel is overflown and Rally officials on
the ground record the time overhead the timing
line. In 2023 we used custom built ADS-B data loggers
(we call it the RallyAware, based on the PiAware project) to more precise
calculate timing line crossings based on aircraft-generated
position reports.
The 2024 course is described here to provide an example
only, the 2025 course will be different, and
will not be announced until shortly before the race during
the briefing.
The 2024 course included the following checkpoints and stops:
- Hayward (HWD) - Rally Start
- Football Field (N 38º 00.29' W 121º 51.48')
- Winters
- Bonus Timing - Sacramento VOR
- Franklin Field (F72)
- Eagles Nest (CA20)
- Bonus Timing - Linden VOR
- Don Pedro Reservoir
- Fiorini Ranch (0CN1)
- Checkpoint Hazel Timing at New Jerusalem (1Q4)
- Livermore (LVK) - Land, Fuel
The planned 2024 course:
Actual routes flown by the racers:
(missing data for some tracks near CP5)
