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For details of the crash on September 16, 2011, see 2011 Reno Air Races crash.

A pair of Sport Class racers passing the finish pylon

232 September Fury, Winner of the Gold Race, Unlimited category, 2006

Rare Bear, a modified F8F Bearcat, running up on the ramp. Winner of the Gold Race, Unlimited category, 2007

The Reno Air Races, also known as the National Championship Air Races, take place each September at the Reno Stead Airport a few miles north of Reno, Nevada, USA. Air racing is billed as 'the world's fastest motor sport' and Reno is one of the few remaining venues.

History

Begun in 1964, the Reno Air Races feature multi-lap, multi-aircraft races between extremely high performance aircraft on closed ovoid courses which range between about 3 miles (Biplanes and Formula One) and about 8 miles (Jet, Unlimited) in length per lap.

The first Reno air races, in 1964 and 1965, were organized by World War II flying ace and hydroplane racer Bill Stead. Bill wanted to revive the National Air Races which had previously taken place in Cleveland, Ohio during the 1920's, 30's and 40's.National Air Races.html</ref>. They took place at Sky Ranch airfield, a dirt strip barely 2,000 feet (610 m) long, which was located in present-day Spanish Springs. After Stead AFB (20 miles to the west, and named in honor of Bill's brother, (Croston Stead, who died in a crash there in 1949) was closed in 1966. The field was turned over to the city of Reno and named Reno Stead Airport and the races have been held there since then. The races have been held every year but in 2001 when they were cancelled due to the attacks on September 11, 2001. They were suspended after the Jimmy Leeward crash in 2011. In the beginning the Reno Air Races featured a cross country race that started in St. Petersburg, Florida and ended in Reno . Wayne Adams won the cross country race in his P-51D Mustang flying at an average speed of 319mph. Once in Reno the races continued by class from September 12-20th. In 1694 there were only three classes of airplanes: midget racers, homebuilt biplanes, and unlimiteds. Since then the number of classes have doubled. Also in 1964 they held a woman's race which was won by Irene Leverton who won at a speed of 143mph in her Piper Cherokee.

Aircraft in the Unlimited class, which consists almost entirely of both modified and stock World War II fighters, routinely reach speeds in excess of 400 miles per hour. In 2003, Skip Holm piloted Terry Bland's modified P-51D Mustang, Dago Red, and reached an all-time speed record of 507.105 mph in a six-lap race around the eight-and-a-half mile course. The recently added Sport Class racers, mostly homebuilt aircraft, are already reaching speeds in excess of 350 mph. Currently the speed record for a race in the Sport Class is held by Jon Sharp flying a Nemesis NXT to a speed of 402.896 mph in 2009. In 2009, Curt Brown set a record of 521.7mph on his jet-engine L-29 Viper during the Jet Class race Heat 2A . The biplane class race speed record was set in 2013 by Tom Aberle when he flew his modified Mong Sport biplane to 254.243 mph . Steve Senegal set the Formula One record in 2012, flying at 260.775 mph in an Arnold AR-6. Also in 2012 was Nick Macy setting the T-6 Class record with a race speed of 247.317 mph .

The Reno Air Races include several days of qualifying followed by four and a half days of multi-aircraft heat racing culminating in the Unlimited Class Gold Race on Sunday afternoon. The event also features civil airshow acts and military flight demonstrations between races, plus vendor areas and a large civil and military static aircraft display. In 2012 an estimated 210,000 people attended the event [3]</ref>.

Classes and requirements

An F/A-18 Hornet sitting on the tarmac at the completion of the 2008 Reno Air Races.

• Biplane
  • Two sets of wings
• Formula One
  • engine-Continental O-200
  • wing area-66 square feet
  • empty weight-500 pounds or more
  • fixed landing gear
  • fixed pitch propeller
• Sport
  • engine-reciprocating engine of 650 cubic inches or less
  • kit aircraft that are flown in this class must have current FAA Airworthiness Certificates
  • 5 or more aircraft must be produced and delivered to customers before it is eligible for competition [www.air-racing-history.com/Reno National Air Races.html]>
• North American T-6 Texan
  • match racing between stock aircraft
  • engine-Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 Wasp
  • features the T-6 Texan, SNJ, and Canadian build Harvard
• Jet
  • started in 2002 as an invitation only class and became open in 2004
  • no afterburner
  • less than 15 degrees of wing sweep
  • features the Czech-built L-39 jet
• Unlimited
  • features WWII fighter aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang, F8F Bearcat, etc.
  • must be piston driven
  • empty weight-4500 pounds or more

Significant Participants

People

• Tom Camp
• Steve Dari
• Bill "Tiger" Destefani
• Kevin Eldredge
• Robert Lee "Hoot" Gibson

• Darryl Greenamyer
• Steve Hinton
• Brent Hisey
• Skip Holm
• Bob Hoover

• Gary Hubler
• Matt Jackson
• Bill Kerchenfaut
• Pete Law
• Jimmy Leeward

• Rod Lewis
• Brad Morehouse
• Dave Morss
• Thom Richard
• Brian Sanders

• Dennis Sanders
• Ruth Sanders
• Jon Sharp

Aircraft

• 232 September Fury
• Air Buscuit
• Argonaught
• Bad Attitude
• Critical Mass

• Dago Red
• Dreadnought
• Furias
• The Galloping Ghost
• Here, Kitty, Kitty

• Lady Jo
• Mangia Pane
• Martin's Legacy
• Merlin’s Magic
• Miss America

• Nemesis
• Nemesis NXT
• Ole Yeller
• Polar Bear
• Poly Dynamite

• Precious Metal
• Rare Bear
• Red Baron
• Relentless
• Riff Raff

• Sawbones
• Sneak Attack
• Sparky
• Speedball Alice
• Strega

• Tsunami
• Voodoo

Deaths

Before 2011

From 1964 through 2010, 19 aviators lost their lives due to crashes and collisions in the course of the competition and airshow. In 2007, three pilots died over the course of four days in separate incidents. (Gary Hubler, Steve Dari, & Brad Morehouse). Moorehouse was flying his L-39 in the Jet Class when he hit the wake turbulence of another jet. It caused his jet to roll twice, lose control and crash into the ground. Gary Hubler was racing in the Formula One class race when he collided with another aircraft and was killed.

2011 crash

Main article: 2011 Reno Air Races crash

On September 16, 2011, a heavily modified P-51D Mustang named "The Galloping Ghost," piloted by Jimmy Leeward, crashed near the stands during the Gold Heat of the race, killing Leeward and 10 spectators and injuring 69. The probably cause as found by the National Transportation Safety Board was listed as reduced stiffness in the elevator control trim tab. This caused a flutter in the control surface and ultimately loss of control. Race organizers cancelled all remaining 2011 races after the accident.

2012-Present

The NTSB issued safety recommendations after the 2011 race accident. On April 10, 2012 the NTSB sent a letter of safety recommendations to the president of the Reno Air Racing Association. It recommended installing barriers to protect the spectators in case another accident. Also it called for the relocation of fuel trucks on the tarmac and to look into a redesign of the Unlimited Class race course. In addition the NTSB recommended that pilots flying in the races need to attend high g-force training and to look into wearing g-suits during the races The Reno Air Races resumed in 2012 without major incident. In 2013 the races also completed without any major incidents for the pilots or spectators.

Controversy

Since its inception 23 pilots and 10 spectators have been killed at the Reno Air Races. People have claimed that the races are too dangerous and should not be continued. In a law suit brought up after the 2011 the plaintiff claimed that the promoters of the race did not fully represent the dangers that were present. They also claimed the owners of the aircraft were reckless and should be held accountable. However motorsports in general are a dangerous activity and participates know what the risks are before even getting in their race car, boat or airplane. Sports of all types have an element of danger involved in them. These risks include everything from twisted ankles to death. For example the 24 hours at Le Mans race. The race has been held every year since 1923 except in 1936 due to strikes in France and from 1939-1949 because of WWII. However the races have still be held every year since. It, like the Reno Air Race is no stranger to disaster. In 1955 Pierre Levegh crashed his Mercedes race car into the crowd. He was killed along with 80 spectators. An additional 100 people were injured by pieces of the car and the fire that followed. Drawing more similarities to the 2011 crash in Reno was how the spectators were killed. Levegh’s Mercedes hit another racer which launched his car up into the air. He flew over the barrier and his car broke up into pieces and flew through the crowd causing horrible deaths and injuries[4]<ref>. Instead of cancelling the race calls for improved safety were brought up. Improved barriers were made, were spectators sat were changed, and newer technology was developed to make the cars safer. The same was done after the Reno crash in 2011. Any type of racing involves risk for participates as well as the spectators but improved safety measures can reduce that risk. It is up to the people who race and attend the races if the risk is worth the reward of viewing or participating. Some of the blame does rest with the organizers of the Reno Air Show, it was up to them to decide where spectators sit and how the course is set up. Although what happened in 2011 was the worst case scenario. Both spectators and participates should be vigilante in order to make the races as safe as possible for everyone.

External links

• Reno Air Racing Association
• International Formula One Air Racing
• Section 3 Reno Air Races
• 50 Years of Air Racing

Category:Air races Category:Festivals in Nevada Category:Sports in Reno, Nevada