Wikinews visits the 2009 Reno Air Races

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 

Welcome to Reno Stead Airport

The Reno Air Races are one of the few remaining air racing events, taking place each year in Nevada, USA. This year, the Reno Air Races had enough competitors in its classes to warrant an extra day of racing heats, which started on Wednesday. Fortunately, this did not diminish the crowds or the excitement for the weekend. The culmination of the week's events, proved to be an extremely busy Sunday with 12 races and 7 air show performances. These performances included the Red Eagles biplane acrobatics, Patty Wagstaff in her Extra 300S, a C-17 Globemaster III tactical demonstration, and the Blue Angels. For any serious attendee of the air races, the defining event of the week was the Unlimited Gold race at the end of Sunday.

The winner of this year's Unlimited Gold race was the returning champion from 2008, Strega. Strega was flown by Steven Hinton this year, and at 22 years old, he is the youngest to ever win the National Championship Air Races. His chief competitor for the Gold race was expected to be Will Whiteside flying Voodoo. Unfortunately, Voodoo had mechanical difficulties and was forced to pull out of the race midway through. The second place finisher for the Gold race was John Penney in Rare Bear, who called a mayday after the race finished, though he did land safely.

Gallery

In the pits

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  Head on of the Blue Angels
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  Head on an F-15 Eagle
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  Head on a A-10 Warthog
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  An A-10 Warthog being towed to the flight line
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  The inside of a GAU-8/A on an A-10 Warthog
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  Rear view of a CH-53 Super Stallion
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  The front of a CH-53 Super Stallion
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  A CH-47 Chinook
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  A KC-10 Tanker
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  An MQ-1 Predator UAV
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  A special Topgun F-16 Fighting Falcon
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  A US Air Force cargo lifter
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  An NHP Cessna
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  Patty Wagstaff's Extra 300S
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  Race 8, winner of the Sport class gold race, in the pits
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  Six-Cat, winner of the T-6 class gold race, in the pits
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  Strega, winner of the Unlimited class gold race, in the pits

Races

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  Voodoo and Strega before the Unlimited class gold race
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  Voodoo overtaking another racer in the Unlimited class gold race
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  Strega winning the Unlimited class gold race
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  Rare Bear making an emergency landing after the conclusion of the Unlimited class gold race
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  Strega in the winners circle
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  The start of the T-6 class gold race
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  Six-Cat winning the T-6 class gold race
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  Viper winning the Jet class gold race
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  Invictus winning the Formula 1 class gold race
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  Nemesis on the ground after winning the Super Sport class gold race

Demonstration flights

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  Blue Angels C-130 "Fat Albert" overflying the crowd
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  Blue Angels synchronized start up
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  Blue Angels 5 & 6 making a high speed opposing pass.
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  The Blue Angels prepare for a formation split
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  All 6 Blue Angels making a split
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  Blue Angels formation taxi at the end of their demonstration show
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  A C-130 making a salute to Section 3
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  A C-17 Globemaster 3 making a low flyby
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  The C-17 demonstrating a "tactical" landing (Less than 1500 ft)
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  Two F-15's breaking formation.
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  Patty Wagstaff making a hammer head turn
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  Patty Wagstaff using her Extra 300S to cut a ribbon
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  The US Air Force demonstration rocket car
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  The rocket car racing a biplane

Other

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  Two parachute jumpers carrying the United States and Alaskan flags.
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  US Army color guard during the opening ceremonies
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  The US Marine Corp recruiters
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  An F-22 Raptor replica trike for children
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  Section 3
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  Every time a mayday is called, emergency services rolls out onto the tarmac

Related Stories

• "Wikinews visits the 2008 Reno Air Races" — Wikinews, September 16, 2008

Sources

• "Reno Air Racing Association" — Reno Air Races, September 22, 2009