Tribute to The Reno Air Races
For nearly 6 decades, Reno Stead Airport was the epicenter of air racing in the world. Pilots pushed themselves and their air machines to the limits with high hopes of proving to the world, they were the fastest.
Sadly, 2023 became the last year those famous words, "gentlemen, you have a race", echoed across the desert terrain of Reno Stead. I am thankful for the opportunity to have attended the world's fastest motorsport once at this historic venue and this article pays tribute to the event which would have traditionally taken place on the weekend this was published. From the epic highs to the tragic lows, racing was a way of life here and everyone involved went all in. Keep reading for my account of the 2013 Reno National Air Races.
A Brief History of Air Racing
Photo credit: Justacarguy.blogspot.com
Long before planes were skirting around pylons at 500mph a mere 40 feet off the ground in Nevada, air racing began in 1909. The first race took place in France with much more crude aircraft. These rickety machines were barely moving quicker than the speed of smell topping out in the mid 40mph range. Due to the winner, Glenn Curtiss, being an American, the US had the opportunity to host the 1910 event which took place in Los Angeles, California. The air racing bug had officially landed on US soil.
Fast forward to the time between both World Wars, known as the Golden Age of Aviation, the industry rose exponentially. With the craze for the need for speed, aircraft engineers ditched the biplane designs for single wing models. Sleeker profiles fabricated out of aluminum and fitted with the most powerful engines made at that time were used with the lure of breaking records. Several of these planes were death traps and the only way to know if it worked was by sending a daring pilot up in it. At the expense of the pilot's life, many accidents occurred. One of the most famous examples is one of my all time favorite aircraft, the Gee Bee R-1 and R-2. I've been obsessed with this goofy looking plane since I was a kid and have owned an R/C model of it for many years so I can attest that it's both touchy and difficult to land. Built by the Granville Brothers, this center of gravity nightmare with tiny wings had a huge Wasp engine stuffed in it. The purpose, speed. While every one of these had eventually crashed, it did push boundaries with the then world record of 296mph. The soon to be famous WW2 hero, Jimmy Dolittle, piloted it to victory for this crazy feat.
Photo credit: Bangshift.com
While the races hopped around the US in the 1920s, the event largely took place in Cleveland, OH during the 1930s. After a hiatus during World War 2, the races returned to Cleveland for a few more years until a crash forced the races to stop for 14 years before Reno picked it up in 1964. The first 2 years of racing in Reno were at a small, dirt runway, but were later relocated to the now Reno Stead Airport after the USAF closed the air force base and turned it over to the public.
Reno National Air Races
From 1964 to 2023, Reno held the event. It included 6 classes of aircraft racing as well as an airshow. The race classes were biplane, sport, T-6, formula 1, jet, and unlimited. I was set to attend it in 2011 with my brother, but tragedy struck when pilot Jimmy Leeward, flying The Galloping Ghost, lost control of his aircraft due to a lost trim tab and crashed into the ground in front of the grandstands killing him and 10 spectators. This canceled the remaining races that year, but they resumed in 2012 with spectators now pushed back further from the race course. I had to wait until 2013 for my next (and only) opportunity.
Traditionally, the 6 classes of aircraft race over a period of several days starting with heats and then finally the medal rounds with the grand finale being the unlimited gold race. I attended on one of the heat days so while still competitive, it likely wasn't nearly as much as the finale. We also missed out on both formula 1 and biplane racing as those did not occur that day. Despite missing out on a couple classes, it was still a really fun spectacle!
2013 Reno National Air Races
Sport Class
The sport planes raced here are closer to your everyday fliers than what you'd expect to see at a racing event. They are smaller, lighter, and less powerful, but still clock in at speeds approaching 350mph. The so called lower performance of these planes doesn't make for a boring match at all and are still exciting to follow.
Jet Class
While relatively new to the racing scene at Reno, the jet class is a whole lot of fun. We had the opportunity to watch 2 separate heats. Originally this class was for the Czech made L-39 aircraft, but was later opened up to any jet without an afterburner or significant wing sweep. The planes are fast flying at 500mph and use the longest course which comes in at about 8.1 miles. Usually when you see a jet takeoff, it goes up high and that's it. At Reno, they hug the deck allowing spectators to cherish the essence of jet aircraft.
T-6 Class
Hear those old radial engines roar! The North American T-6 Texan was a military training aircraft used since just before WW2. It's still a popular aircraft even today. These are not allowed to be heavily modified like the following class. Using nearly stock aircraft with 650 horsepower engines, these guys with their toys duke it out with what they have. They are considerably slower with speeds of less than 250mph and the sound is amazing.
Unlimited Class
The highlight of the week for many race fans are watching the unlimited planes fly. Largely WW2 aircraft are the plane of choice (especially the P-51 Mustang) with just 2 basic rules. They must be both a piston engine and have a prop. Aside from that, race teams are allowed to push the limits as far as they want. Relive the racing days from The Golden Age of Aviation with these modern day pilots who truly push the envelope. The heavily modified planes with engines as much as 4000 horsepower tear through the skies at over 500mph. Heart pounding excitement rushes over the crowd with every pylon turn and nearby pass. This, ladies and gentlemen, is true racing and what has kept racing alive in Reno for almost 60 years. Iconic planes such as Rare Bear, Voodoo, Miss America, Strega, and many others sport their striking paint schemes fueling the event atmosphere even further.
Photo credit: Worldwarwings.com / Bill Larkens / Public domain
I can only imagine the electricity in the air for the gold match, but we had to settle for a heat which did not include some of the bigger names I am familiar with. The 2013 champion ended up being Voodoo. We did not see it race, however, it's home was at the Yolo County Airport in California where my home dropzone, Skydance Skydiving, is located. During the summer each year, we would watch Voodoo tear down the runway, pitch to vertical, and rocket out of sight. The pilot would usually open up the throttle and do some higher altitude passes which were met with many grins from the skydivers. It would have been really cool to see it race down low, but at least I did have the opportunity to see it fly several times.
Reno Airshow
The Reno Air Races are more than just racing, there's an airshow integrated into the mix! Many performers showcase their skills in between the racing action and 2013 had a full lineup of top-notch pilots. There is never a dull moment at Reno as something is always flying throughout the day. From classic warbirds to acrobatic jets and even Jetman made the trek all the way from Switzerland to show off his tiny jet powered wing. While I didn’t get photos of every act (or at least website worthy ones), here are some of the 2013 performers.
Rockwell Saberliner
F8F Bearcat, F7F Tigercat, Supermarine Spitfire, and P-51 Mustang
Smoke N Thunder Jet Car
The Jetman, Yves Rossy
Hailing from Switzerland, Rossy took to the skies flying his mini wing attached to his back powered by 4 turbine jet engines which are usually used in larger scale R/C aircraft. He ascended via helicopter, jumped, and flew around for several minutes before deploying his parachute. This was definitely a unique act and the big screen provided views both on his wing and from the helicopter.
Breitling Cap 232
Clay Lacy’s Lear Jet
The legend, Clay Lacy, flew his lear jet for an aerobatic experience much to the delight of the crowd. Lacy has pretty much been there, done that in the aviation world and has an extensive resume ranging from an around the world record setting flight, to the air races, to filming aerial scenes for many major movies, to flying over 50,000 hours in more than 300 aircraft, and so much more. To watch a guy still rocking what he does best in his 80s (at the time of this show) was really something to see!
Kent Pietsch’s Interstate Cadet
Comedy meets the air when Kent is at the controls. I’ve seen him fly a couple shows and he never fails to disappoint.
Patriots Jet Team
The Patriots Jet Team perform a similar routine to what the USAF Thunderbirds and USN Blue Angels do except it is an all civilian team (although some of these pilots are former members of either of these teams). They utilize the L-39 aircraft and do a great job.
Ground Displays
The action wasn’t just limited to the air. Many very cool aircraft were on display for closer inspection.
The Future of Air Racing
With 59 years of air racing taking place in Reno now riding off into the sunset, the question becomes, what’s next? There was definitely some uncertainty on whether the races would continue or not, but one thing was for sure, these guys have it in their blood. With that said, several airports applied and one was selected. It was announced in early 2024 that the National Air Races will be coming to Roswell, New Mexico in 2025. If you’ve dreamed of attending a race and missed out in Reno, make plans to attend the world’s fastest motorsport at the new home base. New Mexico has so many fantastic experiences that you can easily tie in several side excursions and make it a well rounded trip.
Air racing has been flying fast for over 100 years and I don’t see it landing anytime soon. Reno may not be hosting the races anymore, but there still will be an airshow taking place so you don’t have to miss out on all of the fun. Thanks for the memories, Reno!
As always, B.E. Adventurous!