Reno 2001 Image Gallery, Part Two

Although this year's National Championship Air Races were canceled as a result of the grounding of VFR Part 91 operations, the racers were there, the planes were there, and AVweb was there. Be sure to check out Part Two of AVweb's exclusive image gallery, plus more about the racers assembled for this year's event.

By
Editorial Staff
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Published: Updated:
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Each year, September brings aviation fans the National Championship Air Races, staged at Reno/Stead Airport in Reno, Nev. This year, the racing was schedule to start next Thursday, September 13. Unfortunately for race fans, national security concerns which, at this writing, have grounded VFR Part 91 flight operations also spelled the end of this year’s races before they even got started.

The many new things planned for this year’s races included the advent of jet racing. After last year‘s demonstration race on Sunday, featuring a mixed bag of MiGs, Sabres, L-39s and other jet warbirds, the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) planned to bring jet air racing to Reno as a competition class this year. Like the T-6 class, all racers were to be the same type aircraft: the Aero Volodchody L-39 Albatross, a Czech-built trainer originally developed to train Warsaw Pact fighter pilots.

The jets were to race every day, with the finals for the Challenge Cup Sunday afternoon just prior to the Unlimited Gold finals.

Hopefully, the jet races will once again be included in the 2002 edition of the National Championship Air Races.

The prevailing mood at Stead Field on Saturday, September 15, was sadness. Sadness tinged with anger; sadness moderated with the words, “we’ll see you next year.” Sadness at seeing the vacant grandstands and pits with a few diehard fans and crew tending the airplanes left at Reno. Most of these are VFR-only aircraft, with no way to get home until the FAA lifted restrictions on VFR flight on September 20.

The 38th running of the National Championship Air Races were officially canceled on Friday September 14, when Reno Air Racing Association board chairman Bill Eck called a hangar meeting at 3:00 p.m. to make the formal announcement.

As the hours slipped by before Eck’s announcement, RARA devised a plan to allow individual classes to seed pilots for the initial heats, so that if the ban on Part 91 flying were lifted by Thursday, racing could proceed on schedule. When the FAA announced that general aviation could resume flying at 1500 UTC on Thursday, RARA even put a schedule of racing up on its site. Unfortunately, the subsequent re-imposition of the ban on GA operations put an end to that for the day, but hope remained that the efforts of a wide range of aviation groups, including EAA and AOPA, might get airplanes flying by the end of the Thursday.

In turn, the FAA’s authorization of IFR operations for Part 91 aircraft on Friday never offered a work-around solution that would allow racing to go on, though RARA official reportedly tried to craft an arrangement with the FAA. The Reno Gazette-Journal quoted last year’s Formula One champion Ray Cote as saying, ” I feel the terrorists have won.”

A former RARA board chairman, Jack Walther, told the paper that the situation this year leaves the organization “practically broke.” He said that the cancellation of racing, with the loss of gate revenues and other sources of funds stemming from the races undoes five years of work bringing RARA back to financial stability. Walther indicated that RARA would need community support, even so far as assistance with covering bills for this year.

Prior to the announcement of the cancellation of racing, it had been announced that planned activities honoring the Apollo astronauts were being canceled because of the difficulty most of the astronauts had in getting to Reno.

EAA founder Paul Poberezny touched a feeling held by many in aviation when he said he was saddened by the fact that “an airplane is something we love, and it was used against us.”

We’ll see you next year!

AVweb‘s Reno 2001 Image Gallery, Part Two

Click any image to view a larger version.


AT-6s noses at Reno. The props are turning at different RPMs causing some to blur for the camera.


Six AT-6s on the line awaiting taxi orders from the tower.


Jacqueline Wanda climbs out of her Pitts special Red Eagle after a familiarization race at Reno.


The morning sunshine lights up Norman Ways Race 27.


Furius shows the normal smoke of a radial engine at startup.


With only the panel doors left to complete the retract cycle P-51D Lady Joe takes to the air.


A bi-plane race pilot watches the other bi-planes already on the course as Race 50 awaits permission to launch.


Thunder Mustang Race 69 performing a run-up at Reno.


Mis Stress. Routine maintenance is performed on the AT-6. Like many of the other racers, putting in 18 new spark plugs and checking the magneto timing is routine during race week.


Mystical Power goes low and fast past the home pylon at the end of its qualifying flight.


Precious Metal is pulled back to the pits after a flight. Some pilots purposely shut down the engine after clearing the active to save wear and tear on the engine. This also avoids overheating them on long slow taxis back from the far end of the runway over 1/2 mile away from the pits.


The weather during race week was close to perfect. Occasional high clouds, mid 80s, and light wind. The closest most props got to pushing air was on the tarmac during engine run-ups.


Craig Sherman looks out of his Sport type aircraft as he starts his taxi to the active.


Scott Hammond repairs the left rear brake of his jet-engined dragster after a run. Scott’s demonstration run on Friday was the only entertainment that occurred during race week this year.


The Sport class of air racing brings many kit planes to Reno. Moonshine, a White Lightning model, piloted by Will Mathews goes out to the active.


Mystical Power pilot Tom Campau gives a Thumbs Up sign while awaiting take-off during AT-6 qualification.


A Thunder Mustang , designed with a 3/4-scale fuselage and roughly 5/8 scale wing, sits on the tarmac with the full-scale Mustang race 37 in the background. This carbon fiber made a/c can take more G loads on its wing, nose and tail components than the full scale counterpart.


The tails of many aircraft can be seen at the Reno Air Races.


Only the Formula One racers were leaving because they normally travel to races knocked down in a trailer.


Strega undergoes maintenance under a protective covering. Most teams arrive with tractor-trailers. Due to the high heat that can occur at Reno most teams erect a shelter for the crew and plane.


This is Tom Philo, one of your photographers, one of only 20 or so media people that managed to show up at Reno this year.


A moment of silence. Three aircraft of each race category, the mayor of Reno, EAA Founder Tom Poberezny and crew members of race aircraft arranged in front of the grandstand at noon on Friday.


Taps. A version of Taps, Echo Taps in this case, is played behind P-51D Miss America during the ceremony


The place where a full crew of FAA personnel normally work during race week and fans arrive at first opening to get the best seats in the general seating area, are both empty on Friday. Only the reflections of the sun along the rows of seats
can be seen.


A moment of silence.

This is Part Two of AVweb‘s exclusive gallery of images from Reno 2001.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part One!

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