RENO 2023 IS THE LAST ONE
Reno Air Racing Association announced on Thursday that this year's event will be the last. The Tahoe Reno Airport Authority is ending their support for the show and no longer allowing it to be held at Reno-Stead field.
40+ years ago when I went there every year (1972: a newbie in the stands - 1982: a professional race photographer who flew with the Snowbirds that year) the airport was 20 miles outside Reno in the middle of nowhere. Now, the airfield has been "enveloped" by housing developments.
I'm sure insurance rates went up with Jimmy Leeward's crash back in 2011. And for sure nobody wants a replay of the 1949 National Air Races at Cleveland, where the P-51 crashed into a house.
For me, I won't miss it. Haven't been up there in 35 years. It used to be, if you were there and you were polishing wings on a T-6, you were as much a member of "the club" as the owner of the biggest baddest Unlimited, and you had as much ability to hang out with Bob Hoover at the Saturday night barbecue as anybody else. And then around 1984, the people who always ruin everything when they show up, began to show up. The @#$%$#@#@! with more money than brains, who thought their money made them Extra Special and you better treat them that way if you know what's good for you, buddy. Actually, they first showed up as the Whittington Brothers, the two dumbest and talentless rich boys in America; put them together and you might get all the way to halfwit (dumb enough to finally get serious time in the sneezer for creating an "air force" for the Colombian drug lords in 1985). And by 1987 the wing-polishers and the rest of the "little people" weren't on the invitation list to the Big Party. The year I quit out of boredom.
And the show went down the tubes with them. When the crash happened in 2011 and I saw where it happened, I was so mad I could spit. That spot was the most dangerous place on the field when racers were on the course; when I was up there, only one crew and their airplane could be there at a time, when nobody was flying. So what was the Reno Air Race Association doing? Charging $200 per folding chair for "special seating" right there. I haven't heard what the lawsuits did from that, but the two aviation lawyers I know who were taking cases were the kind of people you Never Want To Cross. If that little stunt didn't cost $100 million in payouts, I'd be surprised. And WTF was Jimmy Leeward doing flying a racing Mustang at age 82?
So farewell, Reno, I won't miss you any more than I miss the way the Fools With Money have screwed up warbirds.
If RARA thinks there is an another airfield 40 minutes outside a major entertainment destination for people with more money than brains to play with their old airplanes, all I can say is, I want some of what it is they're smoking.
For those who want to know what the photo is, it's the moment John Crocker in "Sumthin' Else" broke ahead of Steve Hinton in the RB-51 as Bob Hoover called "Gentlemen, you have a race!" at the 1979 races. 15 minutes later the RB-51 was a smoking wreck at the bottom of the hill off the airfield. Photo by me from Pylon #1.
I was involved with a racer in the 1970's when "Jungle Jim" Lieberman was campaigning his funny car with "Jungle Pam" Hardy ( a really nice girl, do a search about her) Then the racing authorities stepped in and ended much of Jungle Jim's show. Ruined the sport. The pits have not been the same since..
Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ was in existence for decades, and suburban sprawl enveloped it. And the nymbies got it closed due to noise concerns.
This happens too many times with racetracks, and airports and people try to do it with railroads. It is not right, you moved in close to them, and they did not move close to you.
Bruce
So true.
Careful you don't miss and hit the wall behind Tom! š Great piece and I could agree more although I've never been to Reno. Bit like the fiasco and tragedy at Shoreham, I'd rather give up on warbirds than see the general public - who don't give a hoot - killed by them while going about their daily business! We were lucky it wasn't all banned.
A sign of the times, a pity
Happens in āclassicā motor racing as well. Sign of the times we live in.
"This happens too many times with racetracks, and airports and people try to do it with railroads. It is not right, you moved in close to them, and they did not move close to you."-Bruce Archer @rbrucearcher
That is so true. A man whom attended school with me returned to our hometown with a new wife. They bought a nice, old home quite near the BNSF track. The track had been there far longer than he had lived and he had known it was there for his entire life. But, his wife was "not from around here" and soon the frequent train horns were bothering her. They had the gall to appear before the city council requesting that the city force the railroad to change their routine. I understand there was a lot of laughing at their request...š
They no longer live here. I hope they're happy now. š
Hell I bought a house close to an airport 35 years ago so I could see and hear the traffic!
I love living under the right-turn departure of Rwy 16R at VNY. I see the Condor Squadron form up in their finger-four, and I've seen some rarities like the only flying Ford Trimotor 1100ft overhead.
@tcinla: Not surprised by this news. I havenāt attend in 20 yrs.
The times be a changed. What will be next?
Mr Cleaver, the Modeling one, not Leave Itās Dad, has his right to his opinion. But I have the right to say I highly disagree. Yes, in racing as in most sports, money tops talent, just ask Lance Strollās dad. Money and status ruined SCCA racing for me, but I still attend their races often. It sounds like someone got his feelings hurt cause he couldnāt attend the BBQ any more. Have you tried to get into the pits at a F1 race? Good luck getting an invite to Monaco race parties. And for the uneducated, itās a lack of money that is killing many racing series, Reno included, not rich people. You donāt have to be special to move next to a race venue and then gripe cause itās loud. I for one, will miss the Reno air Races, thatās what real race fans do.