22 Sept 2009: The National Championship Air Races & Air Show
The 46th running of the National Championship Air Races & Air Show was held last week at Stead Field, a few miles north of Reno, Nevada. The Races have been held in September of every year since 1964, except for 2001, when all aircraft were grounded following the events of 9/11.
The Races feature "pylon racing" where several aircraft fly a certain number of laps around a roughly oval course demarcated by pylons constructed from telephone poles and painted barrels.
The Unlimited Class, open to any piston-powered aircraft, is comprised mostly of WWII-era fighters such as the P-51 Mustang, F8F Bearcat, and Hawker Sea Fury. In a typical race, six to eight of these aircraft race six to eight laps around a 9-mile course over the desert at speeds reaching 500 mph.
I have had the privilege of working with the Reno Air Racing Association, which produces the event, since 1996, when we launched the official event Web site - airrace.org.
During Race Week, in addition to updating the Web site, I have the opportunity to get close to the aircraft and to get out to various locations on the race course. I might shoot as many as five thousand photos in the period around Race Week, including shots of the preparations for the event, aircraft arriving, racing and air show action, and more.
And, although I have not even had the chance to review all of the images I have taken this year, I would like to share a few that I like so far.