Saving the Reno Air Races

The Pylon Place ^ | March 31, 2014 | Marilyn Dash

[EveningStar]

What can be done to save the Reno Air Races? This is the question posed to me by so many of the Air Racing fans. We know changes are being made – but – are they enough. Are these changes coming too late, what are the signs we should be looking for to see if the changes are working? ...

Tell me why, the day after Steven Hinton won his 5^th Championship he was not being interviewed on Good Morning America, Today and the Tonight Show? This young man has unprecedented achievements and no one knows his name.

I’ve said this many times, RARA has celebrated over 50 years of Air Racing and when I tell someone I’m an Air Racer – they say, “Red Bull”? While I love the Red Bull Air Races – they are in their infancy compared to us.

Even amongst other pilots, they have heard of Oshkosh, Sun-n-Fun --- but never heard of the Reno Air Races – until the Ghost incident? We are the best kept secret in motorsports – which is not a compliment. It’s a travesty...

[EveningStar]

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[rktman]

Still on for 2014. About 2 miles from our house. Too bad there’s some hills in the way. :>}

[cld51860]

I have always wanted to check these out, but have not gotten around to it yet.

[Tallguy]

Me too. I was staying out there on a ski trip a number of years ago. Their was an Air Guard unit operating RF-4C’s out of Reno Airport. We were taking a morning to play some golf at the municipal course and a couple of these came roaring into the valley. LOUD! (I took my mulligan)

[thescourged1]

It was at the RARA in the early 80's where I met LtCol Gregory (Pappy) Boyington before he passed away a few years later. He was a gruff old cuss, lol.

[Syntyr]

“It was at the RARA in the early 80’s where I met LtCol Gregory (Pappy) Boyington before he passed away a few years later. He was a gruff old cuss, lol. “

Thats one way to put it.

That man was my hero. I emphasize was. I have always been big in to planes. as a young teen I saved and saved y money and managed to save enough money to afford to go to the Harligen Airshow to see the Confederate Air Force. I had an awsoem time. It was the last day of the show and I didnt realize it until I came across him early in the morning. He was sitting beside a hangar signing autographs. Well I had already spent my wad but I had an F4U lithograph and I asked him to sign it. He told me to buy his book. I told him I didnt have any more money abd he told me to sod off in not so nice of terms. That unless I paid him money I wasn’t getting his autgraph and to go awyay and stop bother him.

Mean ol sucker!

Its his right and everthing but he didnt have to get his underwear in a bunch over it.

That show I managed to get autograohs from all of the flight crew from the Enola Gay including Paul W Tibbits.

[wally_bert]

Would love to go but no chance being here in SC for starters. I went to EAA for the first time last year. I think there is one in ga called boshears later this month.

[AlaskaErik]

I got to go twice. We were the opening act, dropping the jumpers with their huge American flag. Then we landed and parked right next to the taxiway. I grabbed my camera and sat on the edge of the wing and got to see and photograph every participant taxiing by 50 feet from me. Definitely one of my more memorable trips.

[Dead Corpse]

Who?

[mabarker1]

I managed to get autograohs from all of the flight crew from the Enola Gay including Paul W Tibbits.

Awesome!

I went to one of the last Air Shows at Bergstrom AFB in Austin, Tx after GWI, had a shirt on getting it signed by Pilots. When I got to the F-117 Static the Pilot was one in on the 1st Sortie to Downtown Bagdad. Col. Wes Wyrick.

I went home and packet the shirt up and put it away. Told the now Exwife to NEVER WASH IT!

When the Divorce started one of the first things the B!tc& did was bleach it white...

[tarawa]

I lived in Harlingen, just a few miles from the airport and could actually watch much of the airshow from the treehouse in my backyard, but it was still a huge thrill to get to go watch it up close. I recall one year when my best friend and I walked around talking to all the old pilots and crew members and listening to all the stories. While they were probably reluctant to talk about a lot of it most of the time, the environment and a couple of 8-9 year old kids who were actually interested in what they had to say brought out a lot.

[taildragger]

We don't need to save the Reno Air Races by letting the whole world know about it and have the champ on MSLSD etc doing interviews.

It is a motor experience that none can match, we just need to support it by going ( it is tough, it is right after school starts ) and keep it on the down-low so it doesn't get ruined.

If you have been you know what I am talking about...

[EveningStar]

I’ve been there once (2007).

[PAR35]

Move it to Cleveland.