Anyy updates regarding Reno Air Races 2016???

Ed Likes · **Posted:** Wed Sep 14, 2016 12:31 pm

I have not seen any postings on the Reno Air Races for this year. Anyone there in person this year as to what is taking place especailly in the Unlimited Category? Read a small tidbit that Mike Brown in 10 years spent $10 Million dollars just on racing at Reno wow not for the faint of heart.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

http://www.nvracingnews.com/2016/09/13/ ... y-sept-13/

Qualifying order at the moment:

1. Voodoo
2. Czech Mate
3. Dreadnought

http://airrace.org/wp-content/uploads/2 ... ST_Web.pdf

Lon Moer · **Posted:** Wed Sep 14, 2016 1:21 pm

Those are the only "race" planes this year, parts of "Precious Metal" are there on display on a trailer.
There originally were only 9 Unlimited's registered, but that number has fluctuated some as the promoter's have been recruiting other warbird owners to participate.

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Wed Sep 14, 2016 2:09 pm

Racing begins Noon today, with first Unlimiteds running tomorrow, I think. The latter are pretty thin this year but great turnouts in the other classes.

The top two T-6 class racers both qualified at over 250 mph! How's that for the old slug going around in a circle!

Jet racers are running well over 500 mph -- the Vampires are holding their own.

Then there's the Glasair III that qualified at a bit over 400 mph. That speed would have put it in the Unlimited Gold this year, and is faster than a whole bunch of L-39s and such.

http://reports.airrace.org/

Zac Yates · **Posted:** Wed Sep 14, 2016 3:21 pm

Up in the "Air Racing, Aerobatics, & General Aviation" subforum the "Reno Tickets" thread has sorta turned into a NCAR'16 discussion thread.

Rare Bear's there on static, and as well as Precious Metal the Tsunami rebuild team has a display too. On Facebook yesterday I saw a pic of the P-51A in the pits...I can't imagine it'll be a major competitor, but I bet it'll look and sound fantastic going round the pylons.

Neal Nurmi wrote:

Then there's the Glasair III that qualified at a bit over 400 mph. That speed would have put it in the Unlimited Gold this year, and is faster than a whole bunch of L-39s and such.

WOW! That's amazing!

garbs · **Posted:** Wed Sep 14, 2016 11:41 pm

Planning to arrive tomorrow. Safe to assume that Dreadnaught's rough engine issue has been corrected?

garbs · **Posted:** Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:28 pm

Guess it was safe. Today's Gold was as predicted - Voodoo, Czech Mate, Dreadnaught, Sawbones, & 924 in that order. Argonaut took silver and will move up. Sure missing 232, Strega, Precious Metal, and the Bear.

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:41 pm

Czech Mate went 454 mph -- that's one fast Yak.

garbs · **Posted:** Sat Sep 17, 2016 12:08 am

Pete Zaccagnino apparently walked away from a bad one. He maydayed out of his heat this afternoon and landed out of sight in a cloud of dust. Per FB, he lost the canopy first and then had a flame out on final. The Vampire is totaled

Lon Moer · **Posted:** Sat Sep 17, 2016 12:59 pm

garbs wrote:

Pete Zaccagnino apparently walked away from a bad one. He maydayed out of his heat this afternoon and landed out of sight in a cloud of dust. Per FB, he lost the canopy first and then had a flame out on final. The Vampire is totaled

from the Vampire registry
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/jetregistry/vampireregistry/vampire-n4861k.html

ZRX61 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:16 am **Posts:** 2308

A report surfaced on FB last night by someone who caught a guy buggering about inside the rear cockpit of the #24 T6 in the pits at 10.30pm. Apparently he questioned the guy & figured shenanigans were afoot, but didn't think to yell for security/cops/FAA/the Cavalry etc & the guy just wandered off.
No updates today so far.

Neal Nurmi · **Posted:** Sat Sep 17, 2016 5:15 pm

Do you mean Vampire #24? There is no T-6 #24, at least not racing. I assume the Vamp would be side by side seating? No back seat...

Please let us know if you hear any more on that story. Many of us don't use Facebook.

garbs · **Posted:** Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:03 pm

Different topics - T-6 "break-in" not related to the Vampire issue

JohnTerrell · **Posted:** Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:45 pm

KiwiZac wrote:

On Facebook yesterday I saw a pic of the P-51A in the pits...I can't imagine it'll be a major competitor, but I bet it'll look and sound fantastic going round the pylons.

Heading into this past week, I expected the A-model to best any stock D-model around the Reno course, and it has just about proven so - it finished above all three of the stock D-models in the first heat, just barely edging out 'Wee Willy II', and finished above two of the stock D-models and just behind 'Wee Willy II' in the 2nd heat (both John Maloney in the A-model 'Mrs. Virginia' and Rob Paterson in the D-model 'Wee Willy II' averaging about the same airspeeds all week).

It sounds like Tri-State Aviation would like to get their A-model back to Reno - perhaps next year?

With 'Wee Willy II' racing at Reno this year, it's rather neat to think that there is a bit of 'Red Baron' rounding the pylons again (or at least the "ghost"/identity of).

ZRX61 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:16 am **Posts:** 2308

Neal Nurmi wrote:

Do you mean Vampire #24? There is no T-6 #24, at least not racing. I assume the Vamp would be side by side seating? No back seat...

Typo, it was T6 #54

The post that popped up on the Strega page & the Bear page:

Quote:

Alert of suspicious activity. At approximately 10:30pm in the T-6 pits there was a man in his early 20s who seemed a little crazy, wearing a red baseball cap climbing into the rear cockpit of the #54 T-6. When he saw me he ducked down. I continued to walk around and then decided to approach him. He stayed hidden until I announced that he was in the plane. I asked if he was part of the crew, he replied "not this one." I asked him some further questions and it was pretty evident he was lying. He climbed out of the airplane and walked off, I notified security of the event but he disappeared by then. If any of you have further questions please message me through Facebook or reply to this comment and I can give you my phone number if necessary.

According to a later post on the Bear page it was mentioned at the briefing this morning & the FBI were involved.

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Anyy updates regarding Reno Air Races 2016???

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