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Show RENO NATIONAL CHAMPTIONSHIP AIR RACES Fly low, go fast, turn left. To some that may sound like a funny saying but during the middle of September in Reno, Nev., that is the motto of a select group of people. On the outskirts of a town known more by Aggie fans for producing USU’s toughest conference competitor in men’s basketball than speed records, pilots and fans gather here from around the world. The Reno National Championship Air Races have grown from a humble beginning in 1964 to an event recognized throughout the world, with more than 205,000 spectators crowding the tarmac at Reno Stead Field during the weeklong event. What can best be described as a cross between a state fair and a rock concert takes place as the smell of people, deep-fried food and jet fuel assault the senses in a curiously fun way. For many fans, the event has become a tradition more sacred than tailgating, deer hunting or even Christmas. “We have 22 people in two boxes and our box monkey mascots,” said Jim Fahl, a fan from California. “He’s from Austin,” Fahl said pointing to one of his box mates. “We have people come in from Colorado. We came in from Fremont. There’s people from L.A. and even a couple folks from Canada here.” Fahl’s group not only had two boxes – a seating area established on a section of tarmac directly in front of the grandstand bleachers – but like many racing enthusiasts, had a personalized seating area. With cup holders built to replicate the race pylons and a duel-tap keg built in the form of planes racing by the finish pylon, their box was one of a kind, though not alone in uniqueness. Swimming pools, motorized blenders and coolers full of ice-cold drinks are a norm for many fans at the event. Many booths and entire sections also have personalized shirts made to distinguish who they are. Even more varying than the booth and grand stand decorations, is the fans themselves. From hardened war veterans and fighter pilots to families with kids, there is something to appeal to everyone during race week. Katie Harris, a Cache Valley resident and 32-yearold mother of one, enjoyed her second consecutive year at the races and said when she first made the trip she didn’t think she’d be as big a fan as she is now. “For me, the second I got there and saw the planes and sat in a plane, I was in awe. It was awesome,” Harris said. “I was like, ‘this plane actually flew in a war,’ and that was just cool to me.” And for every fan, there is a race. From biplanes to jets to the turbine powered muscle of the famed World War II aircraft in the Unlimited class – the fastest propeller powered aircraft in the world, capable of speeds in excess of 500 miles per hour – there is a niche to suit every fancy. Qualifications take place during the first three days of the event, but once Thursday rolls around, the competition is fully underway. The races consist of multiple laps around a three- to eight-mile course marked by pylons – most of which resemble a 50-gallon drum stuck on top of an old telephone poll. All told, there are six classes of planes, with a gold, silver and bronze division within each of those classes. Depending on the class and division, the planes tear across the sagebrush, thistle and sand covered landscape at speeds that range from 250 to nearly 550 mph. One thing that every race has in common, though, is the pilots’ proximity to the ground. Moving at speeds less than 100 feet above the earth, accidents can and do happen. Fear, however, is a useless emotion for the pilots. Tom Aberle, a biplane owner, pilot and 43-year veteran of the Reno Air Races, described the feeling he gets every time he takes to the sky. “I could probably give a bunch of scenarios there. But I do believe the best one that describes it is an absolute pure concentration,” said the Fallbrook, Calif., native. “It’s just a focus like nothing else in the world is going on. I’ve not experienced that in any other venue.” Aberle had a successful week, walking away with a win in the Biplane Gold Class. He completed the 19.06-mile course in a time of 4:49.474 in his biplane known as Phantom. “There’s nothing like being on course and having that focus and concentration,” he said. “I found it in 1966, and I keep coming back for more. It’s a sensation that I’ve found unmatched.” Along with racing, the eight-hour daily show schedule is filled with multiple air-show acrobatics, jet-powered car demonstrations and special performances. This year’s show included daily performances by the Navy’s Blue Angels. The six Blue Angel F/A-18 Hornets performed a 90-minute program that consisted of tight group formations, head on passes and thunderous crowd buzzes. Also joining the group, was a Lockheed C130 Hercules – a crowd favorite, affectionately know as “Fat Albert.” All of these events build up to the most anticipated battle of the week – the Unlimited Gold race. This race pits the bad boys of racing against each other in an engine-busting, race to the finish. With names like Rare Bear, Voodoo, Strega, Fury and Riff Raff, these P-51 Mustangs, Grumman F8F Bearcats, Yak’s and Hawker Sea Fury’s conjure up memories of their World War II greatness. These muscle cars of the sky are the darlings of the week and always bring the crowd to its feet. “I like all of those fighter planes,” Harris said. “It’s cool to watch, cool to see. It’s a learning experience. You’ll never know until you go. You’ll never know the patriotic feeling that you get, you’ll never know some of the history that goes into it, you’ll never know the talent of some of these pilots and you’ll just never know the adrenaline rush you can get from watching. Until you go see it, you just don’t know what to expect.” The 2009 Unlimited Gold race was full of the unexpected. Voodoo, a longtime competitor, was awarded the pole position for the first time in the plane’s history after Strega had been assessed a pylon violation in Saturday’s position race. Glimmering in purple, green and yellow, Voodoo hung with Strega for the first couple of laps but the defending champion P-51D Mustang was again too much for Voodoo and the rest of the field. Piloted by first time Unlimited Gold participant 22-year-old Steven Hinton, son of Reno racing legend Steve Hinton, Strega completed the eight-lap 67-mile course in 8:10.357 – an average speed of 491.822 mph. The younger Hinton’s average speed was a new championship record, and he also set another record, becoming the youngest pilot ever to win the Unlimited Gold event – a title he took from his father who had held the previous record when he won at age 26. Fan favorite and former eight-time champion Rare Bear, a flashy F8F Bearcat piloted by longtime pilot John Penney, returned to the podium with a second place finish, 13 seconds behind Hinton. Voodoo looked like it was going to battle for second, but a problem arose with the aircraft and pilot Will Whiteside was forced to pull out of the race and declare a mayday. Despite multiple maydays throughout the week, the 2009 races passed with no casualties. With the races officially over, the sun started to set and the mass exodus began. Trailers, trucks, cars and people clogged the roads out of town, turning Reno Stead Field into just another airstrip until next September. For many, another September won’t come quickly enough as Harris, Fahl, Aberle and many others already have their 2010 trip planned. “There is only one venue for air racing,” Aberle said. “This is it.” –Story and Photo by Tim Olsen |
