The Reno Air Races, a one-of-a-kind flying event with powerful airplanes racing around pylons at speeds up to 500 mph, opened on Wednesday in Nevada. The popularity of the races have grown in recent years, with up to 200,000 visitors expected by the end of the event on Sunday. Along with the races, daily air shows feature top performers like the Canadian Snowbirds jet team and aerobatic flyers Mike Goulian and Greg Poe. This year, the race Web site will feature daily videos and podcasts for the first time. On Tuesday, a pilot from California was killed during a practice flight when his engine failed shortly after takeoff from the Reno Stead Airport. Steve Dari, from Lemon Grove, Calif., was flying a Rose Peregrine biplane, and it nosed over in an attempted off-airport landing.
Steve Fossett, who is still missing in Nevada, was scheduled to participate in the Air Races this week as a judge, and also as a competitor in the10th annual National Aviation Heritage Invitational race, which features members of the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
