Reno Air Races

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A pair of Sport Class racers passing the finish pylon.

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

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

P-51D Mustang Dago Red

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. 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.

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.

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.

1 Race classes
2 Deaths
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Race classes

Biplane: 3.18 mi (5.12 km) course,^[1] speeds reaching nearly 230 mph (370 km/h); flown by predominantly aerobatic aircraft such as the Pitts Special and other biplanes. Some faster aircraft are original homebuilt designs.
T-6: 5.06 mi (8.14 km) course, speeds reaching 230 mph (370 km/h);^[1] match racing for unmodified T-6 Texan aircraft, the USN SNJ versions, and Canadian Harvard variants.
Formula One: 3.12 mi (5.02 km) course, speeds reaching 250 mph (400 km/h);^[1] aircraft competing in this class must be equipped with a stock, 200 cubic inch (3.28 L) Continental O-200 engine. The aircraft must also have a fixed-pitch propeller and fixed landing gear.
Sport: 6.37 mi (10.25 km) course, speeds reaching 350 mph (560 km/h);^[1] consisting of commercial kit-built aircraft. Engines used must be 650 cubic inches (10.65 L) or less, and at least 5 aircraft kits must be delivered to customers. In 2007 a Super Sport subclass was introduced with engine displacements up to 1000 cubic inches and relaxed fuel restrictions.
Jet: 8.38 mi (13.4 km) course, speeds exceeding 450 mph (725 km/h);^[1] match racing for the Czech Aero Vodochody L-39 jet. In 2007 the jet class was extended to include any jet with wings swept less than 15 degrees and engines without afterburners. Aircraft participating under these new rules in 2007 included the Aero Vodochody L-29, the T-2 Buckeye, and the T-33.
Unlimited: 8.48 mi (13.65 km) course, speeds exceeding 500 mph (805 km/h).^[1] Aircraft competing in this class are typically warbirds such as the North American P-51 Mustang, Hawker Sea Fury, and Grumman F8F Bearcat, though the class is open to any piston-powered aircraft weighing more than 4,500 lb (2,041 kg).

[edit] Deaths

Over the course of the sport's 44-year history, there have been a total of 18 deaths due to crashes and collisions in the course of competition. In 2007 alone, three pilots died over the course of four days in separate incidents (Gary Hubler, Steve Dari, & Brad Morehouse),^[2] prompting the temporary suspension of the event.^[3] Races were resumed on Saturday after various safety meetings.^[4]