Reno National Championship Airraces and Airshow

The world famous Reno airrace is held in Reno Stead airport, Nevada.
Not only the airrace but the airshow held between races are great to watch, too.

iClick photo for a larger size imagej

Unlimited race
Racer 11 "Miss America" challenges a Sea Fury Racer 66 (N666HP) during the Unlimited heat race.
Rare Bear Taxi
A legend - F8F-2 modified, Racer No.77 (Bu.122629 / N777L) "Rare Bare" which is a totally modified Bearcat that has world speed record of piston engine aircraft (528.3 mph = 845 Km/h @ 3km closed course)
However it has not won the race for the past several years.
Bearcat Taxi
Racer 204 - F8F-1 (Bu.95255 / N41089).
Looks like a stock Bearcat.
P-51 camouflage Taxi
P-51D (44-74389 / N64824) Mustang.
P-51 Miss America Taxi
"Miss America" Racer No. 11 is P-51-D-30NA (44-74536 / N991R) that has raced in reno since 1969
Although it looks like a stock Mustang, the engine has been modified to output 3000Hp.
Gary Levitz flying
Gary Levitz's P-51R "Miss Ashley II" Racer No.38 (N57LR) races to be 4th in the 1998 Unlimited Gold.
Gary Levitz Taxi
Same aircraft taxi for Heat-3 race on Saturday, 1999.
Soon after this photo was taken, the plane took off for the race and after the first lap, it broke up in mid air and the pilot was killed.
Sea Fury dropout from race
Unlimited Gold race in 1998 - Sea Fury Mk.11, Racer No.66 (N666HP) makes an emergency landing due to engine trouble and is towed back to the pit.
Another sea fury fly overhead in a race.
Unlimited race
Unlimited aircraft in a race.
AT-6 Taxi
T-6 class racer, SNJ-6 Racer No.47 "Frostbite" Piloted by Jack Frost.
T-6 Race
T-6 aircraft in a race.
Fastest aircraft is about 210 - 220 mph (340-350km/h).
T-28 race
T-28 in a race.
T-28 race
T-28 race was held only in 1998.
All 6 aircraft had gull gray or navy blue paint scheme and were difficult to tell one another.
Biplane
Sport Biplane class race.
Even the fastest aircraft reaches only 200mph (320 km/h) - well, its faster than racing cars!
Sports
Sports class race.
This is a Berkut 540 (Racer No.51, pilot Dave Ronneberg) which is no longer in production.
Sports
Formula one class race.
L39 Jet Class Race
The new jet class uses L-39 trainer aircraft.
I think they are too quiet and not much fun.
AS
Helicopter class race.
(No, there is no such thing)
Aircraft is Eurocopter AS355 F2 Ecureuil of "Care Flight" (N30LG)
UH-1
HH-1N from nearby NAS Fallon Base Flight.
GeeBee R-2 Replica
Demo flight of GeeBee R-2 racer replica.
P-51 Aluminum Taxi
Nice knife edge pass of F-14A from USN VF-101 (159428 / AD-261)
F/A-18 Takeoff
F/A-18C of VFA-125 (NJ-301) takes off for demo.
F/A-18 Top Gun Takeoff
F/A-18B (Bu.161714 / 00) and F/A-18A (Bu.162900 / 47) of NSAWC "Top Gun" from nearby NAS Fallon takes off for the "wall of fire" demo flight.
Top gun - Wall of fire demo
It is really a wall of fire.
Click photo for a larger image and you will see 2 F/A-18s flying above the blast.
Top Gun F-14 and F/A-18
F/A-18A (Bu.162844 / 35) and F-14A (Bu.160913 / 13) of NSAWC Top Gun/Strike.
F-5 Taxi
F-5E Tiger of US Navy VFC-13 taxi for departure after the race and airshow.
This aircraft, 74-1530 / 03 is an ex-USAF.
C-130 Taxi
C-130H from Alaska ANG 176WG fly every year for the opening show.
P-51 and F-16 Heritage Flight
Heritage Flight of P-51 and F-16
F-15 taxi
F-15C-27-MC"Gulf Spirit" of 33FW (80-0005 / EG)
AK ANG F-16
Arkansas ANG F-16 making an afterburner high speed pass at the opening celemony of 2002 airrace.
CaliforniaANG F-16 formation
F-16D formation belonging to California ANG 194FS.
Mig-21 Taxi
Mig-21 taxi for demo flight.
Mig-21 and Mig-17
Mig-17 and Mig-21 formation.
Hawker Hunter
Very rare Hawker Hunter T Mk.7 (N617NL)
Tigercat Engine Start
Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat (Bu.80483 / NX6178C) starts engine.
Turbo Raven Taxi
Giles G-750 (N17HE) "Oracle turbo raven" - an amazing turbo prop aerobatic aircraft.
2 weeks later at the Salinas airshow, this plane crashed,
Thunderbirds opposing diamond and solo
Thunderbirds show as seen during 1999 airrace.
Thunderbirds solo high G afterburner turn
Lead solo makes a high G turn.
Fat Albert JATO takeoff
Blue Angels' TC-130G Fat Albert taking off with JATO during the year 2000 airrace.
The flame from rocket started a grass fire and firefighters had to put it out.


Reno Airrace related links
(Links will open new windowj

Airshow site Click here

What you can see
(This is generic. May differ from year to year.)

 Air race of various class, Military aircraft demo, Warbirds and classical aircraft display, civilian aerobatics
Location Reno (Nevada)
Weather Forecast, past weather history Click here
Nearest city Reno, Sparks (Nevada)
Nearest Major Airport San Francisco (SFO)
Nearest local airport Reno (RNO)
Airfield information Click here
Nearby Attractions -



Copyright 2001 Morimoto, Makoto : All Rights Reserved.