Roll 01

Digital Camera Images

From a low end Digital Camera. Thumbnails link to larger image. Most around 50k in size.

Balloons Launch The Reno annual balloon festival occurs the week before the Reno National Air Races. This is its 21st year. If they have a motto for their races it would be "Drift up, Go slow, and Land soft". The motto for the Reno National Air Races is "Go Fast, Go Low, and Turn Left".

 

AT-6 Race 44 of Wayne Cartwright is an early arrival. Arriving early allows people to take apart their aircraft and give them a thorough service before racing starts.

 

Czech Mate, a Russian Yak-11, on the tarmac after arriving

 

 

Czech Mate View from the cockpit of the Yak-11 "Czech Mate." The view forward on the ground is very restricted in most World War II era aircraft. S turns on the taxiway is mandatory for most every aircraft.

 

P-51 Voodoo is a highly modified P-51 "Mustang" flown by Matt Jackson that is one of the most colorfully painted aircraft that compete in the Reno National Air Races.

 

Support Vehicles No plane can compete unless they have support staff. This may range from a simple toolbox to complete tractor trailer rigs that most unlimited racers drive to Reno.

 

Spare engines can be seen. This is a Packard built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine on its transportation stand. Most crews can replace an engine in 12 to 16 hours. This engine belongs to the P-51D Miss America. This I believe is the race engine that failed causing Miss America to get heavily damaged.

 

Skip Holm's P-51 Dago Red In its shelter. This crew gets to work out of the direct sun when preparing Dago Red for the races.

 

Ed Bowes Race 59 Formula 1 racer does an engine check on Saturday before the qualifying rounds begin. These races are stored in the hangers until they race.

 

P-51-D Miracle Maker of Ike Enns. Stock Mustangs abound at Reno. Being in a stock configuration they cannot fly as fast as the highly modified aircraft so they end up in the very competitive Bronze and Silver Races in the unlimited class.

 

Critical Mass, a Hawker Sea Fury, is always a top contender at Reno. Aircraft arriving at Reno usually request, and are usually allowed if no traffic, a fly-by down the active runway before landing.

 

Gene McNeeley's AT-6 Race 90 sits in the pits after arriving. This image shows one of the limitations of a low end digital camera when contrast is really high. The whites are washed out and color registration is way off in this image.

 

A P-51 Mustang painted up in British desert color camouflage.