The STIHL National Championship Air Races At Pylon 4

by Jay Olson
Published in Midwest Flyer – December 2019/January 2020

The Genesis

Decades have passed since I sat in the lobby of Thunderbird Aviation at Flying Cloud Airport (KFCM) in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and listened to flight instructors gush about the STIHL National Championship Air Races at Reno/Stead Airport (KRTS) in Reno, Nevada. Fast, fast planes! Loud planes, racing! They were excited! That day, the Reno Air Races were added to my bucket list.

The Preparation

The process begins. You all know the routine along with the anxiety that goes with going to a new destination, new event, and with new responsibilities.

• Pre-Registration.
• Does my 35mm camera work (can I even find it)?
• If I don’t fly there myself, airline tickets… Do I go to Reno, San Francisco, or Sacramento?
• Hotel Accommodations
• Car Rental

A quick flight, car rental, and I was on the road to Reno. It was my first time there, and I was not sure what to expect.

The Sacramento/Reno/Lake Tahoe area is a beautiful part of our country. Small, charming and open for business, I felt that the town, and the STIHL National Championship Air Races, were made for each other! Reno is highlighted by a beautiful river walk, casinos and restaurants. Truly a charming town with big-town amenities!

The Races, Day 1
(Saturday, September 14, 2019)

I exceeded my daily step quota trying to enter the races and obtain media credentials. I was rescued by a volunteer worker who was more than generous with his time in assisting me to get registered. Entering the world of the STIHL National Championship Air Races was like stepping through a curtain into another world. Airplanes, pilots, future pilots – and did I mention – airplanes and food. Food that pilots like: hot, ready-to-eat, and at a cost less than expected.   

I spent most of my first day taking in the static displays, eating, and becoming familiar with the layout. The end of the day was highlighted with a demonstration by the magnificent U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. An amazing display of equipment and pilot skills, the Thunderbirds rattled my molars and left me wanting more.

The Races, Day 2
(Sunday, September 15, 2019)

The final day of race week, September 15, 2019, began with the Welcoming Ceremonies, where the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) recognized Pete Law as the “Person of the Year,” the highest honor of the organization. In his six decades with the STIHL National Championship Air Races, “Secret Pete” worked with nearly every Unlimited Gold racer to fly the pylon course and is credited with being the humble, yet brilliant man who helped make Unlimited Air Racing faster, safer and the most exciting racing spectacle in history.

As they have for the last several years, RARA also recognized the Tuskegee Airmen with a tribute and flyby during the Welcoming Ceremonies. This tribute was especially poignant with the passing of retired Lt. Col. Robert “Bob” Friend, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen. Friend flew 142 combat missions in World War II as part of the elite group of all-black fighter pilots trained at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute. A few years ago, the Palm Springs Air Museum helped restore the P-51 Mustang “Bunny” and painted it with the same numbers and markings as the plane flown by Friend during WWII. “Bunny” is flown every year at the STIHL National Championship Air Races, and this year with a special tribute logo.

National Aviation Hall of Fame enshrines, Dick Rutan, Robert ‘Hoot’ Gibson, Col. Clarence ‘Bud’ Anderson and Clay Lacy, joined the late Neil A. Armstrong’s son, Mark Armstrong, and presenting sponsor Perform Air International, in awarding the “Grand Champion Neil A. Armstrong National Aviation Heritage Trophy” to the 1931 WACO QCF owned by Chris Galloway of Woodland, Calif.

It was also announced that the STOL Drag Race is expected to be an official race class in 2020, September 16 – 20. This will be the first new race class created in 22 years.

After a night of fantastic food and modest gambling, I entered Day 2 as a veteran of the races, knowing where to park, where to enter, and who to confirm my reservation with for Pylon 4, where the true excitement of the races began!

At the media trailer, I learned the particulars of our ride to Pylon 4. The atmosphere took on a higher degree of order and intensity. Time deadlines, location specifics, do not go here, but you can go there… Pylon 4 was evolving into reality.

At the designated time and location, I entered an unmarked white van with a group of other reporters. I could tell that these people had been there before. Some chatter among the group and lots of camera equipment checks. After a short delay, it was a 30-minute drive into the desert.

Arriving at Pylon 4 was non-ceremonial and all business. We were positioned on a ridge and occupied a sliver of desert with a giant pylon on a telephone pole located above us. The wind was blowing with gusts just to remind us who was really in charge.

We received a briefing by race officials who got to the point. They laid out where we could – but more importantly – where we could not go to take photos. Remember, the pylons are where the planes round the corners 50 feet or less at speeds sometimes exceeding 400 mph. This was no place for daring and foolish photographers. Step out of line and a photographer could be banned for life.

We got into position and waited. “Here they come” and I strained to locate the first aircraft. It was like your first cross-country and looking for traffic. The sky is big and blue when a dark spot catches your attention. You zero in on it and mentally you confirm that it is indeed the aircraft in the race. Vroom! They are here and just like that, they are gone to the next pylon and out of sight. My first set of pictures caught a lot of aircraft tails. A quick adjustment and four more laps of the race to make up for my mistakes. Eventually my photo skills got up to speed and the excitement of being at Pylon 4 overtook the fear of being there.

The last race of the day is the “open class.” P-51 Mustangs and Hawker Sea Furys highlight this class, which is a crowd favorite. Loud and fast, the open class combines the beauty of elegantly designed and powerful aircraft, flown by pilots jockeying to demonstrate to the crowd who was #1 that day.

The field was small this year. Only five aircraft started out. Reporters speak romantically of the past when up to 35 aircraft were competing, and the late Bob Hoover would hover overhead in his P-51 Mustang “Ole Yeller” to assist pilots in distress. It seems economics, politics, and this year, aircraft damage, have taken its toll on the number of entrants.

I discovered a local connection from my earlier ventures at the show. “Sawbones,” a Hawker Sea Fury FB MK.11 that generates up to 3000 hp (owned by Robin Crandall, piloted by Curt Brown, maintained by Rick Ranheim), had incurred damage and was not allowed to compete this year. The downtime allowed the crew to discuss the race; the past, the present, and the future of the STIHL National Championship Air Races.

SawBones, based at Anoka County/Blaine Airport in Blaine, Minnesota, was this year’s favorite to win the open class. This prognostication was based on a very loose survey, overhearing others on the flight-line. A strong finish last year, the pieces seemed to be in place for the top spot this year. However, damage to the elevator from a prior flight led to the grounding of the aircraft. As I hung around their static display, I had a chance to chat with crewmembers. What a personable group of individuals who are very willing to share their knowledge with those who stopped by just to ask a question or two.

Gold Race Results

Unlimited Class Results: Dennis Sanders flying Dreadnought, completing the course in 09:20.713 at an average speed of 403.274 mph.

Jet Class Results: Pete Zaccagnino flying Just Lucky, completing the course in 05:41.672 at an average speed of 495.106 mph.

Sport Class Results: Andrew Findlay flying One Moment, completing the course in 07:12.928 at an average speed of 390.744 mph.

T6 Class Results: Chris Rushing flying Barons Revenge, completing the course in 07:23.400 at an average speed of 235.081 mph.

Formula One Results: Lowell Slatter flying Fraed Naught, completing the course in 06:09.023 at an average speed of 243.442 mph.

Biplane Class Results: Andrew Buehler flying Phantom, completing the course in 04:55.831 at an average speed of 227.755 mph. The Tom Aberle Memorial Gold Race was canceled due to high winds. The results for this class were based on Heat 3A.

For complete race results, go to http://reports.airrace.org/2019/2019.Unlimited.html

The STIHL National Championship Air Races are an absolute must for aviation enthusiasts. Northwestern Nevada is a beautiful part of our country. The city of Reno adds a fun dimension to a weekend getaway or a week-long vacation. The races allow you to regain or reenergize your love of country, trust of people, and devotion to aviation. Pylon 4, what more could you ask for?

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