Reno Air Races final year...

[treadigraph]

2023 will be the last Air Races held at Reno due, it seems, to too much development locally... Organisers seeking a new venue. I wonder if last year's accident proved the final nail...

https://www.2news.com/news/national-championship-reno-air-races-to-leave-area-after-nearly-60-years/article_0dd50a84-bea4-11ed-a7e4-1fd0d9875114.html

I guess we could see the end of unlimited warbird racing, which I'm sure many people will cheer - as much as I'd rather see these things flown a little more sedately, yet there is something magic about hearing and seeing them blasting round the pylons. The best years are undoubtedly several decades in the past in my opinion...

[Pypard]

2023 will be the last Air Races held at Reno due, it seems, to too much development locally... Organisers seeking a new venue. I wonder if last year's accident proved the final nail....

Seems doubtful, given the Galloping Ghost incident a few years earlier. It sounds like development in the area made it a finite timescale. Hopefully a more remote location can be found. I assume the F1, biplanes, T6 class etc will carry on but without Reno. The Unlimiteds used to race elsewhere but I haven't followed that side for some time.

[uxb99]

That's very sad news. I visited in 1998. It wasn't so much the racing I remembered. That seemed to be happening quite far away. It was seeing all those customised and gaily painted Furies, Mustangs, Bearcats and Yaks.
Combined with the blistering sun certainly a memory I cherish. I had hoped to return one day.
Are we seeing the inevitable wind down of ops for similar venues like the CAF?
btw does Salinas and Evergreen still hold shows?

[meleagertoo]

How is the CAF a 'similar venue'?
Their mandate is to preserve historic aeroplanes, not wreck them wholesale like the unlimited racers do.

[longer ron]

How is the CAF a 'similar venue'?
Their mandate is to preserve historic aeroplanes, not wreck them wholesale like the unlimited racers do.

OTOH - without the 'racers' how many warbirds would have survived the 1950's/60's ?
Most of the warbirds flying at reno are absolutely 'stock' and usually presented to an extremely high standard :)
A whole mini industry has grown up around Hawker Furies - most of which are fairly standard looking (albeit with a sensible engine) - and you do occasionally get the pleasure of seeing/hearing a Fury with a proper 'engineering madness' Brizzle Centaurus engine :)
Just walking around the Pits area is very impressive.
The first couple of times I visited it was possible to view off airport up the 'Valley of Speed' - which was great fun - probably not so easy now.
We last visited in 2017 and had a great couple of days there - we even got overtaken by Steve Hinton snr on the drive in one day :)

[Coochycool]

I see the ticket sales go live tomorrow, 8am Pacific Time.

I'ts a bit of a hop from sunny Scotland, but I'm seriously considering it. Anyone care to offer any advice? Do you think camping with a hire car and tent is a reasonable option?

Thanks in advance

Cooch

[longer ron]

We are not far away in Perthshire Coochy :)
Certainly possible to do it as a camping trip - we used to park in the Scouts car park which is only a short walk from the main entrance - not sure if they have a camp site as well ??There certainly used to be quite a few parking/camping options.
If you do go - it is well worth getting a pit pass :)
The racing is not quite as 'unlimited' as it used to be,unless somebody manages to persuade the 'Rare Bear' owner to fly it again.But you are usually guaranteed quite a few Furies and P51's racing + loads of T6's and other assorted 'guest' aircraft.
Usually been quite a reasonable air display in the past but obviously not sure what the plans are for this year.
I will be jealous if you do go - I cannot get travel insurance at the mo otherwise we would be off like a shot :)

[longer ron]

We did the saturday and sunday in 2017 - sat for a general wander and look around at all the statics and 'specials' - sunday for another wander and then into the pits quite early to prepare for the Gold Final.
I was not going to record it but soon realised it was going to get close - so here is my short video of the gold final - we were right next to the winning team so it does get a little noisy :),please excuse the wind noise - as I said - I was not expecting to video it :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d990-hBYSy0

+ Spitfire (from Texas) Low Pass - taken by my OH :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTweT3Epwjc

[longer ron]

LOL even I cannot see the 2 youtube links I posted in #8 above - just go 'quote' if you want to watch :)

[Akrotiri bad boy]

I was there in 2011 when Galloping Ghost brought a premature end to proceedings 😭

[Coochycool]

Longer ron

Please check your PMs

[pr00ne]

Nice video footage, but it begs one thought, local development? It looks to be in the middle of absolutely nowhere with not a building in sight?

[longer ron]

Compared to this country yes but it is just NW of Reno and developments have been gradually encroaching over the years,I don't know if it is these developments which are going to build even closer or if the Reno/Tahoe Airport have designs on the site.Reno/Tahoe Airport is pretty 'landlocked'.

[treadigraph]

I was there when Miss Ashley II broke up rounding turn one or two, the main wreckage ended up in some one's back yard. Might even have been some slight third party injuries.

Reference Confederate/Commemorative Air Force, a fair few airframes have been destroyed in their hands over years. Marauder, Havoc, CASA 2111 for starters. I know a lot of bent Reno Racers have been seriously rebuilt but the actual toll of historic unlimited airframes utterly destroyed is probably half a dozen or so. Galloping Ghost, Red Baron immediately spring to mind. N51U I think was fatal but rebuilt. Miss Ashley II was largely a new airframe built around a few P-51 bits and Learjet wings and tail. Several others lost elsewhere, Mojave and San Diego. What have I missed?

Edit: N51U never was rebuilt; two other losses were the R4360 modified Super Corsair at Phoenix and a Bearcat at San Diego, both engine fires.

[Rory57]

I see the ticket sales go live tomorrow, 8am Pacific Time.

I'ts a bit of a hop from sunny Scotland, but I'm seriously considering it. Anyone care to offer any advice? Do you think camping with a hire car and tent is a reasonable option?

Thanks in advance

Cooch

I went to Reno races 20 years ago and have had a few other holidays in the area. Went equipped to camp but every camp site seemed to expect only motorhomes and was hellishly noisy with their generators and air conditioners. We did “camp” once, illegally, sleeping out in the desert, with the rented convertible’s top down. Stars were bright!
Motels were so cheap and so easy, I wouldn’t consider a tent. You will need a big hat, and factor 50 sunscreen, the sun is really vicious!

But go if you can.

[Fargo Boyle]

I was there when Miss Ashley II broke up rounding turn one or two, the main wreckage ended up in some one's back yard. Might even have been some slight third party injuries.

Reference Confederate/Commemorative Air Force, a fair few airframes have been destroyed in their hands over years. Marauder, Havoc, CASA 2111 for starters. I know a lot of bent Reno Racers have been seriously rebuilt but the actual toll of historic unlimited airframes utterly destroyed is probably half a dozen or so. Galloping Ghost, Red Baron immediately spring to mind. N51U I think was fatal but rebuilt. Miss Ashley II was largely a new airframe built around a few P-51 bits and Learjet wings and tail. Several others lost elsewhere, Mojave and San Diego. What have I missed?

Edit: N51U never was rebuilt; two other losses were the R4360 modified Super Corsair at Phoenix and a Bearcat at San Diego, both engine fires.
Technically Red Baron survives, it was 'rebuilt' and now flies from Chino as 'Wee Willy II' owned by Steve Hinton. It's actually a bitsa from an Indonesian fuselage, but we're into Trigger's Broom territory!

[treadigraph]

Indeed Fargo, also "hulk of RB-51 to Terry & Bill Rogers, Sherman TX .89: planned rebuild as Griffon RB-51 racer" - not heard anything more about this so assume moribund. Video from accident showed only so much scrap metal. Bill Rogers was involved in the Miss Ashley II Learstang project with Gary Levitz, so I wonder if the RB-51 ended being subsumed into that (along with parts from Learstang Vendetta which is now a P-51 again...).

[punkalouver]

Those merlin's sound 'nice' but turn up the volume and listen to a 4360 pass by:

One Second on the Course with Dreadnought – by Tom Fey | Old Machine Press (https://oldmachinepress.com/2012/08/29/one-second-on-the-course-with-dreadnought-by-tom-fey/)

Interesting article as well.

Or listen to this video from 2:45 to 4:30 with volume loud to hear a mis of high power pass and piston engine start:

(96) Unlimited air racer 'Furias' qual with crash landing, Reno 2012 - YouTube