NEW YORK, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket Racing, Inc. today announced that it has been granted an Experimental Exhibition Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the first of its next-generation Rocket Racer that has been selected as the baseline design for the fleet moving forward. This exhibition type certification marks the first time in the FAA's history that a production level rocket powered aircraft has been cleared to perform exhibition flight demonstrations at over 20 venues across the U.S.

The DKNY Bridenstine Rocket Racer vehicle, built on a Velocity Aircraft airframe and equipped with liquid oxygen (LOX) & alcohol engines manufactured by Armadillo Aerospace, was used in test flights to demonstrate the Rocket Racer's stability, safety, performance and reliability to the FAA.

"I would like to personally thank the FAA for their assistance through this process," said Granger Whitelaw, Rocket Racing League Chief Executive Officer. "This historic moment was built upon the unprecedented cooperation between our company, Armadillo Aerospace, and the FAA. The League will now move forward with solidifying venues for its 2009 Exhibition season and be on course for the official race season in 2010."

The league plans to work with show, airport and local FAA authorities to select 8 venues from the more than 20 that have been approved by the FAA. To date the venues approved by the FAA for the Rocket Racers include: National Championship Air Races and Air Show, Reno, Nevada; Miramar Air Show, San Diego, California; Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Aviation Nation, Las Vegas, Nevada; Sebring U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, Sebring, Florida; McGuire Air Force Base Airshow, Wrightstown, New Jersey; Igor I Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Bridgeport, Connecticut; Sun 'n Fun, Lakeland, Florida; Oklahoma Spaceport, Burns Flat, Oklahoma; Spirit of St Louis Airport, St Louis, Missouri; Wings and Wheels Fly-in, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Lackland AirFest, San Antonio, Texas; Langley Air Force Base Air Show, Hampton, Virginia; EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wisconsin; NAS JAX Air Show, Jacksonville, Florida; Albert Whitted Airport, St Petersburg, Florida; Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California; Mojave Air & Space Port, Mojave, California; New York Air Show at Jones Beach, Farmingdale, New York; Caddo Mills Municipal Airport, Caddo Mills, Texas; Majors Airport, Greenville, Texas; Grayson County Airport, Sherman/Denison, Texas; Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, Fort Worth, Texas.

Videos and photographs of the Rocket Racer test flights are available for download and viewing at the following FTP site:

Domain: rocketracingleague.ipower.com

Username: press_ftp

Password: pressmaterials

NOTE: You will need an FTP Client Program to access site

For more information or to find a schedule of future Rocket Racing League events, visit www.RocketRacingLeague.com.

About The Rocket Racing League

Founded in 2005 by two-time Indianapolis 500 winning team partner Granger Whitelaw and X PRIZE Chairman and CEO Peter H. Diamandis, MD, the Rocket Racing League (RRL) is a new entertainment sports league that combines the exhilaration of racing with the power of rocket engines. To be held at venues across the country, the Rocket Racing League will feature multiple races pitting up to 10 Rocket Racers going head to head in a 4-lap, multiple elimination heat format on a 5-mile "Formula One"-like closed circuit raceway in the sky. For more information on the Rocket Racing League, please visit www.rocketracingleague.com.

About Armadillo Aerospace

Armadillo Aerospace is a leading developer of reusable rocket powered vehicles. Armadillo focuses on VTVL (vertical takeoff, vertical landing) suborbital research and passenger flights, with an eye towards eventual paths to orbit. Founded in 2000, Armadillo has an unequaled experience base with over one hundred flight tests spread over a dozen different vehicles, with work done for NASA and the Air Force, and flown vehicles at every X-Prize Cup event. Armadillo performed the very first flight under the new FAA/AST experimental permit regulatory regime, and has made over an additional half dozen permitted flights since then, all fully insured and observed by on-site AST personnel.

    Media Contact
    Paul Fusco
    Rocket Racing League
    (212) 204-9217
    paul@rocketracingleague.com

SOURCE Rocket Racing, Inc.