Reno National Championship Air Races is 15 days away

Well race fans, 15 days till time trials and 18 days till race time.  Got your tickets???  Hope so cause I believe this will be an exciting one.  All the planes are flying and the mechanics are doing their magic.  P-51 fans will be happy to know that Voodoo pilot Steve Hinton Jr. has done a test flight and they are happy.  Now just how happy, I don't know.  Bob Jackson has also gone up with Strega getting used to the different plane.  Radial fans for the Seafurys and Rare Bear community are busy as well.  Another plane returning from the past is Czech Mate an Yak 11. I am sure the Jet teams are getting things worked out as well as the Sport, Formula Ones and Bi Planes teams. 

Voodoo with the morning moon 2011

 Czech Mate 2009 

 The entertainment side of the air show will real exciting as well.  They have Jetman as an premiere performer as this will be his only appearance in the U.S. .  The Patriots Team - L-39 Formation Team.  Kent Pietsch flying his 1942 Interstate S-1 Cadet, sporting the Jelly Belly logo having fun thrilling the crowd.  David Martin will be flying his Extra 300S with some amazing stunts as well.  And you will see Smoke N Thunder Jet car racing back and forth in front of the crowd which is fun to watch.  Michael Goulian will also perform some awesome aerobatics.  And last but not least Clay Lacey and his Learjet will perform.  Wow, there will be literally no stop to the action this year.  Hope you plan on attending this very special occasion, it will be hard to beat.

Fist time attending Reno National Championship Air Races ?

So this will be your first visit to the World Famous Reno National Championship Air Races held at Stead Airport just north of Reno.  You ask what do I expect when I arrive?  Well here are a few hints to help you get started and hopefully an enjoyable experience.

How are you getting there, car or plane?

If by car, you will need lodging.  Go on line and do a search for what your budget will allow and then make reservations to secure your room.  Next you will drive to Stead Airport North of town approximately 12-14 miles depending on where you stay.  You will then park in the general admission parking lot and walk in to the gates.  If you fly in and rent a car this will apply as well.  You can either buy your tickets at the gate or online through RARA website.  You will have some decisions to make since there are several options available.  There is general admission, reserve seating, box seats etc.  Again go online to RARA (http://www.airrace.org/index.php) and see what will work best for you.  You will also have an opportunity to buy pit passes as well and is highly encouraged.

If you are flying in again you will need lodging.  You will have some options for transportation, you can either rent a car or use the shuttles that will be available at some casinos in town.  I have stayed at the Peppermill in Reno and John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks.  Again chose whatever suits your budget.  Both have excellent on site restaurants available or diners close by as well as the other casinos.  The shuttles are very good as they drop you off and pick you up right at the front gate and makes life a lot less stressful.  They run several buses both in the morning and after the races so you will need to think ahead and be sure you don't miss the last one.

Once you are there be sure to pick up an program to see what the schedule is and what performers are performing.  Be sure you have sun block and a hat to protect you from the sun which can be intense during the day.  Drink lots of water to keep hydrated.  If your sitting in either the reserved or general sections it is highly recommended to bring one of those portable stadium seats with the cushion and backrest cause after awhile those steel bench seats get very hard and the back starts to hurt.  Take frequent breaks to hydrate and cool down now and then.  To be honest there is no bad seat, you can see the racers and performers from anywhere on the grounds   Only thing is in general seating if you leave your seat you may not have it when you return that's where reserved seating works a little better.  You won't be able to use umbrellas in the stands for obvious reasons as you will be interfering with other peoples line of site.  Believe me when I say that a day at the races will be awesome and you will be tired at the end of the day but happy.  So get your reservations, plan ahead and have the time of your life for your first time and I am sure it will not be your last time.  Only 24 days before the races begin.

Reno National Championship Air Races 50th Anniversary

Wow it is hard to believe it is that time of year again.  September 9-11 2013 the Reno National Championship Air Races begin with the time trials to qualify.  Then on September 12-15 the 50th anniversary of the coveted event thrills the audience again.  This event is the only one that allows spectators to watch these world class airplanes race fifty feet above the ground and wing tip to wing tip which can be extremely exciting for all.  This year we will be seeing familiar pilots with new top runners.  Voodoo (P-51D) is making a comeback and has Steve Hinton Jr. at the controls moving from the Strega (P-51D) camp, and Matt Jackson has replaced Steve in Strega due to his plane Furious (Hawker Sea Fury) crashed after qualifying when the landing gear collapsed during landing last year.  They also are welcoming back a past contender OleYeller (P-51D) flown by John Bagley.  Now this is just the Unlimited Warbird Division.  You have the Jet, Sport, T-6, BiPlane and Formula One Divisions as well.  When your not watching the races you can buy a pit pass and tour the planes up close and personal and talk with the pilots and crews.  Lodging is going to be tight so make you reservations now.  Please don't miss this special event.  Below are some shots during the 2012 races.  Enjoy

 

Unlimited

 



 

 

 

T-6's

 





 

Sport

 

Jet

Formula One

 

Bi Planes

Reno National Championship Air Races are coming your way

The Reno National Championship Air Races are celebrating their 50th anniversary in September (see RARA website http://www.airrace.org/)  This will be an event of a lifetime.  If you look back on the history and see the evolution of the races, you will have a greater appreciation on their road to being an world class event where we have pilots from around the world.  Come see the incredible machines designed and built in the 40's and the new tech from today.  There is something for every aviation enthusiast.  Some of the races start on Wednesday afternoon finishing on Sunday.  If you have not attended the races before, be sure to reserve a room early.  They will go fast also you can get some good rates by reserving early.  Get your tickets and pit passes early as well, sometimes they have to raise the ticket prices so keep checking the facebook page, you can find that at the website above.
Also they have an excellent antique aircraft display.  The event is called The Heritage Trophy.  This runs during the races.

Please do not get discouraged about the government politics causing several air show cancellations, Reno Air Racing and Air Show is not dependent on military aircraft.

Fibrocartilaginous Embolism there is hope..

First off I want to say to the people reading this blog that I am not an expert in this field, please visit this site for all the specifics http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_fibrocartilaginous_embolism.html
I am just telling a story of an amazing dog.

 

"Mr Toby and his favorite toy"

One evening while we were watching TV my beagle "Toby" tried to jump into my lap which he does all the time, he is my lap buddy, well he missed and fell back on to his butt rather hard.  He started acting a little strange after that and started having trouble walking.  By the next day he was really having issues with his back two legs.  We took him to the vet to see what was wrong.  They did a check-up and said it could be a couple of things 1)  He could have blown a disc, 2) He could have had an Fibrocartilaginous Embolism,  treatment is steroids, muscle relaxer and a pain reliever.  So we had to find out what was wrong so we did an MRI (Yes an MRI, hey this is my bud and I will take care of him no matter what, actually both my dogs are in this category and her name is "Maggie")

"Miss Maggie"

  The MRI came back negative for the blown disc and the prognosis was Fibrocartilaginous Embolism.  So we bring Toby home and he can't walk or support his weight, very gut retching experience.  Toby never gave up and he was a trooper from day 1.  We took him out several times a day to do his business and we made the mistake of trying to help him to much.  On the second day he hadn't done anything and we are getting very concerned.  My lovely wife took him out and decided to back off a little and he finally did his business on his own, we just help with steadying him.  Anyway that evening he decided he was going to walk and that was it, away he went very wobbly but walking.  The vets were prepared to tell us it could be up to two weeks before he would get to this point.  He amazes me with his grit and determination to walk again.  I call him the miracle dog.  He continues to improve and get stronger each day and it has become a challenge to slow him down so he doesn't hurt himself.  And to give you a little more what this little guy is like, I was carrying him downs some stairs when I wrenched my ankle and fell back on my butt.  After we sat down to cuddle, he sat back and licked my face showing his concern for me.  So if your pet/buddy has suffered an Fibrocartilaginous Embolism, please don't give up hope, let them know you love them and be there for them.  The rewards are simply beyond words.  We are a week into the recovery process.  He is walking, a little wobbly, but thinks he can run a jump which he can't but he keeps trying anyway.  Exercise is very important to keep the joints working right.  We hope and pray for his total recovery.  I hope this will give you hope as you start on the road to recovery for your buddy.

Reno National Championship Air Races 2012 Re-Visited

First off I would like to give a little background on myself and my exposure to the Reno National Championship Air Races in Reno Nevada.

My name is Michael Jennings and I live in Billings Montana.  I first heard about the Reno Air Races while I worked at McCarran Int. Airport in Las Vegas for Hughes Aviation Services in 1973.  I was a lineman at the time when a P-51D Miss America landed for refueling on its way to Reno for the Air Races.  I visited with the pilot while I refueled the plane and he told me a little about the races.  Since then I always wanted to go to the Air Races but never really had the chance until I retired in 2009.

 My first trip to the races in 2009 was a thrill beyond words, there is so much to see and do that at the end of the day you were exhausted but happy.  My first attempts to get pictures really didn't work out for me, I didn't have a clue what I was doing so I decided to try and learn more about photography.   When I returned to Billings I immediately joined two camera clubs and started asking a lot of questions and then following up by doing research.  I also knew I had to upgrade my photography equipment to be more successful.   I bought two lenses, 70-200mm f2.8 IS II and the 17-40 ultra wide angle f.4 by Canon.   I also learned that a group called the media had special access to the ramp and pylons.  So I did some more research and applied for credentials through a local newspaper to cover two brothers Mark and Dave Standish from Billings crewing for a pilot from St Petersburg FL, Pete Zaccagnino.  My credentials were approved for 2010.

 

2010 was my first time as media was an eye opener, there is so much to cover and it is hard to be at the right place at the right time but you do the best  you can.  I met some photographers (3) who befriended me and mentored me and it is to their credit that I have improved each year.  This was my first time being able to get up close to the planes, pilots and out at the pylons.  There are techniques you need to learn and master.  You also have to learn the rules as an media person that involves your safety.  One rule they preach daily is if you are on the ramp and an aircraft starts its engine, you need to move two planes away, if more than one starts there engine, you must get behind the no prop turn line which is a solid black line with two yellow dash lines on each side running down the ramp.  Out at the pylons there are rules you must follow as well.  I took thousands of shots but only kept a fraction of them.  I hooked up with the Standish brothers and did an interview on a Friday morning.  Again the pace was staggering and at the end of the day you were exhausted.  2010 was a good year.

 

2011 I applied again for credentials and was approved.  This time I wanted to see the whole event so I arrived on Sunday and watched the qualifying part of the event learning all the ins and outs of this process.  I was just settling in for the long haul when on Friday September 16, 2011 a horrible tragedy struck.  Jimmy Leeward and his highly modified P-51D Mustang the Galloping Ghost crashed into a part of the box seat section killing 10 people on the ground and the pilot.  The cause was the mechanical failure of the elevator trim tab.  When I left the field that evening, they were still attending to the injured and I felt so overwhelmed and it was hard to believe such a devastating accident occurred.  That evening I met with my friends and we talked about what happened and the future of the races.  We all agreed that it would probably would not happen in 2012 and it might restart in 2013.  Well we were wrong because the Reno Air Races Association (RARA) who sponsor, coordinated and put on the races did the impossible.  They worked through the diversity, got key support from all the local and Federal agencies as well as monetary support from the local businesses.

2012 I applied again for credentials not knowing what to expect.  They were approved. Returning to the field on a early morning on September 12, 2012 was very emotional.  I could still see the emergency vehicles and shocked spectators milling around when I left last year in my mind.

 I had learned more techniques and had bought a new camera for this year.  Again the days were a blur and the tempo was fast.  The 49th Reno Championship  Air Races and Air Show was an incredible event.  The performers did an excellent job entertaining the spectators, the racers put on an awesome show as well.

 

 On Thursday September 13, 2012 they again acknowledged all the first responders who were there and came to the aid of all the injured, what  an incredible example of community service at its best.   On Sunday September 16, 2012 they had a ceremony remembering the victims followed by a missing man formation.

 The races closed with no injuries or fatalities.  The amount of dedication exhibited by the RARA staff to go forward with all the uncertainty and to achieve their level of excellence is commendable.    I can only imagine  what there 50th will be like, awesome I am sure. 

 

Reno Air Racing is back

Well the first full day of racing has come to and it wasa full day of exciting racing.  Tomorrow promises to be a great one as well.  I apologize for not posting pictures but my computer has developed issues.  My iPad isn't capable of processing raw files.  Will post some later.  Be sure to check out RARA's website for the latest racing results and there Facebook page.  I have to say RARA has done an exceptional job.