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The Pylon Place: Reno Air Races 2015 Recap – Part 1
By Marilyn Dash
The sun coming up on Strega. This was her year. (Anthony Taylor)What a great time! What a crowd! What amazing racing! This was the best year in a long time!
The week started out with great weather but lots of smoke from the many fires in California. When the wind blew in, the smoke blew out – but the winds brought a new set of issues. The wind was so bad on Sunday, several classes had to stand down from their allotted course time because the winds were above their limits – as addressed in the Rules of Competition.
But by Monday, everyone was back on the course and qualifying began in earnest. The Unlimiteds had two sessions for qualifying each day. By the end of Monday, Stevo Hinton had put up a time of 464.246. Not the fastest he’s ever gone, but the fastest of the day. Each class has their own rule, so in the Unlimiteds you can requalify if you want to better your time. Hinton probably thought this would hold, and if not, he could easily go back up by Wednesday to put a better number up.
The Pylon Place: The Man Who Has Flown Everything – Finally Gets His Chance in Strega
By Marilyn Dash
Hoot’s ride for 2015 - Goot Hoot! (Anthony Taylor/Warbirdfotos.com)Robert Lee Gibson, better known to Air Racing Fans as “Hoot” is one of the most highly decorated racers around. Will he finally get the chance to be a Champion?
Hoot was born in Upstate New York, yet considers a town outside of LA to be his “hometown.” He, like so many others, soloed at 16 and earned his pilots’ license at 17. He always knew he wanted to be a pilot– even at the age of 10 when his dad turned the Bonanza yoke over to his side and let him perform his first take off. Both of his parents were pilots, and his dad was an aeronautical engineer. Flying and aeronautics were a family tradition in the Gibson household.
The Pylon Place: Air Race
By Marilyn Dash
Air Race 1 – Tunisia
Thom Richard, Jay Jones and Michael Mundell in the Gold. (Used with permission from Air Race 1)I’ve heard the question a hundred times, why is International Formula One Air Racing called International? Well, Jeff Zaltman and his team have put the International back into IF1.
Last year, in their inaugural season, Air Race 1 put together a great race in Spain. This year, they have a three Race Series, starting in Tunisia and finishing in Reno, Nev. They are revisiting their roots in Spain in the middle of the season. In fact, the teams are heading to Spain as we go to press.
First thing you’ll notice is a bunch of familiar names from the IF1 Class at Reno. Only two competitors are not Reno Air Races veterans, and the planes are very familiar as well!
The Pylon Place: Air Racers Keeping Busy in the Off-Season…
By Marilyn Dash
While we wait for Air Racing Season to begin again, several of our Racers are keeping busy in the off-season.
Setting Records…
Phil Goforth in Knotty Girl (Tim Adams)Last year, Elliott Seguin and his team put together the Mojave Experimental Fly-In to showcase experimental aviation, maybe go for a few records and then hang out with a bunch of cool people for the weekend.
Andy Chiavetta and his Team Chia together with Elliot, Lynn Farnsworth, and the Super Legacy tentatively* broke two Speed Records and two Time to Climb Records over the Mojave weekend. The 3,000 Meter Time to Climb was completed in under two minutes. That’s a 1,500 meters per minute climb! (For those who don’t believe in the metric system that’s more 4,900 feet per minute).
The Pylon Place: What’s New at the Reno Air Races?
By Marilyn Dash
Last year’s winner, Voodoo and Stevo HintonThe big news everyone is talking about is the hiring of Mike Crowell as the president and chief executive officer of the National Championship Air Races. After a few visits with Mike, I can say that I am very happy to see someone of his caliber taking the reins.
“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Mike’s caliber step in to take the helm at the Reno Air Races,” said John Agather, chairman of the RARA board of directors. “We are looking to Mike to bring his leadership, experience, and expertise in running efficient organizations to the Reno Air Races so that we can ensure this important northern Nevada event is successful for many years to come.”
The Pylon Place: January 2015
2014 Year in Review
By Marilyn Dash
Team Ruby – Getting Ready for the Big Race (Anthony Taylor /Warbirdfotos.com)Another year is in the books with some great highs and some devastating lows. I wanted to take the time to look back and celebrate the good and memorialize the losses.
Red Bull Air Racing was Back!
If you read this column regularly, you know that I love Air Racing of any kind–especially the Closed Pylon racing like we do at the National Championship Air Races in Reno. But I also have a great affection for the Red Bull Air Racing Series.
After a three-year hiatus, the series came back stronger than ever, finishing the season at their Home-Drome with the Championship being decided on the last flight. Amazing year–congrats to all, especially Nigel Lamb, the 2014 Series Champion!
The Pylon Place: Pylon Racing Seminar 2014
By Marilyn Dash
The 2014 PRS Graduating Class. (Anthony Taylor/Warbird Fotos)A record number of attendees joined forces at Stead Field outside of Reno, Nev. to qualify and practice for the 51st National Championship Air Races to be held Sept. 10-14th.
International Formula 1 continues to earn its name – by the addition of Frenchman, Christophe Delbos flying Spaniard, Bill Paradi’s aircraft, N-A-Rush. Bill and his new wife are expecting a baby around the same time as the races, so Bill asked Bobos to fly his plane for him. (This is very bad timing, Bill!).
Some of you may remember Christophe (aka Bobos) from the Big Frog Racing Team in the Sport Class. The Diesel-powered NXT flew only one year before the engine failed, and Bobos had an off-field landing, Strawberry Fields Forever. He’ll be back in another sport racer in the future – but will be an IF1 racer this year.
The Pylon Place - January 2014
The Future of the Reno Air Races…
By Marilyn Dash
(Bruce Croft)Since the Galloping Ghost crash of 2011, the Air Races have been plagued with financial concerns and rumors about closing the doors.
In the last few months, Michael Houghton, RARA President, has been talking about this year’s event being in jeopardy if $500,000 was not raised by Dec. 15. Just in the nick of time, we were told the event is back on. This leaves many people wondering about the long-term viability – and if this will continue to be a year-to-year endeavor.
Reno Air Races Are On!
After some doubt, it appears the Reno National Championship Air Races will have a 51st year! The announcement was made by Reno Air Racing Association President and CEO Mike Houghton in December. The association had set a goal of raising $500,000 by the middle of November in order to cover operational expenses, primarily insurance, for the 2014 races. By Dec. 12, Houghton said, “we’re only a hair away” from reaching its $500,000 goal. That was enough for him to confirm that the races will go on in 2014, with the event set for Sept. 10-14.
“I’m very pleased to say … that it’s probably going to be a very early Christmas present for our organization, for this community and for our state quotas,” Houghton said. “The air races are moving full speed ahead,” Houghton said. “And I can tell you with a smile on my face that it’s an absolutely delightful day for all of us.”
The Pylon Place - December 2013
World Aerobatic Championships
By Marilyn Dash
The World Aerobatic Championships come to the USA once every 10 years or so. This year, they were held at North Texas Regional Airport in Grayson County, Texas. The good news was everyone had a great time. The bad news was the weather did not cooperate.
Aerobatics
Beautiful aerobatic machines. (Courtesy of Marilyn Dash)Before racing in the biplane class at Reno, I was involved in local IAC competition. The challenge of flying competitive aerobatics was something I very much enjoyed and something I may plan to return to now that things are rocky at RARA. I found that I couldn’t do both at the same time – the airplane I was using needed to be changed for each sport and I didn’t have the time or resources to do it each year. But, if the Reno Air Races are over (more on this next month), it is likely I will throw my time and energy back into aerobatics.
The Pylon Place - October 2013
The 50th National Championship Air Races
Part 1
By Marilyn Dash
Proud father and son - champions again! Stephen Hinton in Voodoo was the Unlimited Gold champion. Well, the 50th is in the books. The same kid won, but he was riding a different horse. There was good, there was bad, and there was not a lot of ugly, thankfully. Let’s get started with the review.
The UWRC (previously known as Unlimiteds) competitors were few and far between, with only 15 racers showing up for race week. But, the big iron was there. Returning champ, Strega, along with Voodoo, Rare Bear, Czech Mate, 232 and Dreadnaught all have the pedigree. All of them could win; nearly all of them HAVE won. But, it was Bob Button’s year – finally.
After threatening retirement for the third time, many didn’t expect Button and Voodoo to be back at the races – ever. A change of heart, the right team, the right time and the right combination all came together and they did it. Voodoo, who has maydayed out of so many races over the years, finally wins it all on Sunday.
50th Annual Reno National Championship Air Races
(Pete Shirk)The title of the event has been confused with a 50th Anniversary. The first national championship air races were held at Reno in 1964, so the 50th anniversary of that will be Sept. 2014, but Reno was anxious to celebrate something, and so celebrated the 50th race rather than the 50 anniversary. (Ask your spouse for clarification on anniversaries.)
And celebrate we did, however, it did not come easily. A little background history will help. In 2011 there was the terrible crash of Galloping Ghost (Race 177) which tragically took the lives of 11 people, and many more were injured. (Please refer to my article in the October 2011 In Flight USA, “Flying a Full Circle” http://inflight.squarespace.com/featured/2011/10/7/flying-a-full-circle.html as well as numerous other sources on the accident.)
This year’s 50th Reno Air Races had all the drama, suspense, and surprise that one could ask for –
The Pylon Place - September 2013
50th Anniversary of the National Championship Air Races
By Marilyn Dash
It’s that time again. The crews are making the final touches on the race planes and the pilots are testing and growing more focused every day. The drama that is Air Racing is ready to play out in front of our incredibly loyal fans. Let’s take a look at who will be there and what to expect.
Unlimited
At this point, we have 16 aircraft on the roster. While not the largest number of entries, the fans should be pleased with the caliber of racers. Let’s take a look at what to expect…
Voodoo is back. Yes, after a year off, Bob Button decided to come back in a big way. He decided to put together his dream team and go for that elusive win. Stevo Hinton will be flying Voodoo this year. And Kerch is back as the team adviser, in what we are affectionately calling, “Yoda and the Kid.” They are having fun, they are focused on winning and they are the team to beat right now.
Button’s Voodoo is Back – with Yoda and the Kid (Anthony Taylor/Warbird Photos.com)
Rare Bear has made the trip to Texas and back for a tweaking by Nelson Ezell and his crew of warbird whisperers. A wave of their magic wand and maybe the Rare Bear will be back to her winning form? With Stewart Dawson in the seat and a hungry owner in Rod Lewis, is this their year?
The Pylon Place - August 2013
Innovations in Air Racing
By Marilyn Dash
With all the drama surrounding the transition from the old unlimited class to the new, the fans are forgetting about the other five classes of racing. I’ve decided to focus this month’s column on the other classes, the innovators and racers who we don’t hear about on the forums. Who they are and what to look for this year – but let’s start with why the fans aren’t as enamored with these classes, and why maybe they should be.
Air racing through the years was always about technical advancements – especially for civil aviation. Among the first races in the 1910s, the draw was for inventers to show their wares and develop a name for themselves through their innovation. Thousands would flock to these events to watch the historic races and see how far aviation had changed since 1903 at Kitty Hawk.
The Pylon Place - July 2013
What Does It All Mean…
By Marilyn Dash
Towing out for the Gold Race (Tim Adams)If you keep up with National Championship Air Racing (NCAR) news during the off-season, you probably have read several press releases about the Unlimited Division of the National Air-racing Group (UD-NAG) and a Safety Stand Down for the 2013 NCAR. This was followed quickly by the announcement of the new Unlimited & Warbird Racing Class (UWRC). My goal in this column is to present to you a little history and hopefully answer some questions about the future of Unlimited Racing at Reno.
History of NAG
The National Air-racing Group was founded in the 1970s by several Northern California air racing enthusiasts. Originally called the Northern Area Group of the Professional Race Pilots’ Association (PRPA), they later split off from PRPA and started their own group. This organization grew to be the largest and most active air race organization, with more than 2,000 members scattered throughout the world. A recognized member of the International Council of Air Shows, NAG is a non-profit California corporation.
The Pylon Place - June 2013
Another Great Planes of Fame Airshow and PRS Preview
By Marilyn Dash
Five P-38 Lightnings in Formation – Amazing. (Rob “Phred” Miller)Ignoring the naysayers, Planes of Fame goes right ahead and puts on an amazing airshow – again. Nearly 40,000 people were in attendance to witness history and a terrific show.
This year, the airshow celebrated the history of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. There are only seven airworthy P-38s in the world today, and five of them were in the skies over the Chino Airport. Another P-38 on display, a photo-recon variant, made up the sixth P-38 at the show that weekend.
The formation of five was breathtaking. I don’t think we’ll ever see something like that again, sadly.
The Pylon Place - January 2013
Aviation Events in 2013
By Marilyn Dash
Big things are happening this year in aviation. Before we get too far into the new year, I wanted to help you plan your vacation time. So, get out your Ruby Aviation calendar (www.cafepress.com/aviation_calendar) and a pen and let’s get started.
Reno Air Races
Reno Air Races action, where else can you see racing Mustangs. (Anthony D. Taylor/warbirdsfotos.com)Priority number one to air race fans will be the 50th Annual National Championship Air Races, which will be held Sept. 11-15, 2013. If you only make one event this year, I am pretty sure this is the one to make.
The planning has started to have many old-time racers in attendance. I will continue to include updates as plans become more solid throughout the year. But, circle this one, and consider coming for the entire week. Qualifying starts on Monday, Sept. 9, 2013.
With all the rumors floating around for the last few years about this being the final Reno, if your bucket list contains “Race at Reno,” you need to go to the Pylon Racing Seminar (PRS), aka Rookie School. This will likely be held the week of June 10. You need to attend PRS if you want to race, so in order to check off that box on your bucket list you will need to be here in June to be there in September.
I should also mention that I don’t believe the rumors; I didn’t believe the rumor about the Mayans either – and they were wrong too.
The Pylon Place - December 2012
That is one Fast Glasair …
By Marilyn Dash
Jeff LaVelle rounding the pylons in his Glasair III. (Bruce Croft /www.twozerowest.com)Honoring my commitment to cover all of the Race Classes at Reno, not just the Unlimiteds, I wanted to introduce you to Jeff LaVelle, the 2012 Sport Class Gold Champion and his Glasair III.
A seemingly mild mannered Glasair III, one that looks remarkably like the others you may see each weekend flying to the next $100 Hamburger location. However, this one is special – very special. But all that is special is on the inside.
Jeff LaVelle, like so many other race pilots, started out racing something else, for him it was motorcycles. He always had a competitive spirit that made him look for ways to improve. He became a pilot about 20 years ago and later attended the Reno Air Races, setting his sights on competing there.
Editorial: Reno Air Races 2012: Remembering a Tragedy and Experiencing a Rebirth
By Nicholas A. Veronico
The highly modified P-51D Strega has been in the winner’s circle 11 times, seven times with owner Bill “Tiger” Destefani at the controls and since 2009 with Steven Hinton at the stick. Here Strega awaits its pilot for the 2012 Unlimited Gold race with the class trophy gleaming in the afternoon sun. (Nicholas A. Veronico)The tragedy of 2011’s air races was still fresh in the minds of those in attendance at this year’s Reno National Championship Air Races. Others were visibly angry one year later, directing their hostilities toward the Galloping Ghost’s pilot, the air race organizers, and the sport of air racing in general. However, the majority in attendance sought to remember those that were lost while at the same time looking forward to years of safe air racing.
The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) held solemn ceremonies in remembrance of the victims and in honor of the first responders. RARA also recognized the relatives of those who lost their lives, enabling these family members to achieve some semblance of closure. The majority of those in attendance at the races gave RARA high marks for how they handled this emotional anniversary.
T-6 Class Gets Stronger at Reno 2012
By Alan Smith
Nick Macy on way to Gold race victory. (Victor Archer)As the only “one design” class at the National Championship Air Races, high performance in the AT-6 class has, for years, been primarily dependent on pilot skill that minimize wasted distance on the oval race course and puts one airplane into the lead. There are, however, permitted airframe “cleanups” that, when properly done, can significantly increase the top speed of a T-6.
For example, the stock T-6 wing skins are riveted in place with domed rivets. For racing, these are replaced with flathead rivets flushed into the wing. Landing lights are removed and the wing fiberglassed back to the main spar. There are many other small things that can be done to reduce drag and increase speed. And, of course, a racing T-6 has been repainted in vivid colors and is highly polished. I have been told, by some racing T-6 owners, that even selecting the right polishing compound can have a positive effect.