Reno Air Races

I got the desire to see the National Air Races from my dad. He saw Jimmy Doolittle race in Cleveland. I defer to my sister, the family historian, about which year. I, too, went to the National Championship Air Races and Air Show. For me, it was last year at Reno. The slogan associated with the Races is Fly Low, Go Fast, Turn Left. That is exactly what the racers do. They did in Cleveland (and Chicago before that) and they do in Reno. Last year The Reno Air Racing Association canceled the final race, the Gold Cup championship for the Unlimiteds, because of high winds. The event is dangerous, but I believe the organizers do all they can to assure the safety of the racers and spectators. With new housing erected, the Air Races no longer ran in Cleveland. Years later they moved to the desert, in part because of the risk to those who were not associated with the race.

The Gold Cup championship race for the Unlimiteds is the last race of the last day and is the climax of the Races. Propeller driven, piston engine powered, airplanes - most of which were designed originally as fighters for World War II - compete in a spectacle of noise, power, and speed. One of the most disappointed of the pilots last year undoubtedly was Jimmy Leeward, a highly accomplished pilot who flew Galloping Ghost through lower level qualifying races to have a chance to compete against the preeminent Strega, Voodoo, and Rare Bear. Safety, though, took priority and the race was canceled.

This year, in the first Gold Cup heat of the weekend the four met September 16. Strega and Voodoo were leading, and Galloping Ghost had passed Rare Bear when tragedy struck. Martt Clupper wrote an excellent article on what likely caused the accident. Telemetry data shows Galloping Ghost was flying at 495 miles an hour as it rounded Plyon 7 for the straightaway in front of the grandstand. Questions have been raised as to why the pilot did not do more to avoid hitting the spectators' area. The telemetry data reveal the answer; Mr. Leeward experienced 21Gs immediately after the trim tab broke off the airplane. No human could withstand such force. The FAAs planning did not, and could not reasonably have been expected to, assume such an event. Eleven people have died and scores of others were injured. I thank God the human loss was not more.

Some people are calling for the end of the Air Races. Others want to impose more restrictions in hope of reducing the possibility of another accident and loss of life. Did I expect to die when I went last year? Of course not, but I knew that by being there my probability of death was greater than for many other activities. I made the decision, fully expecting to live, but with the knowledge (remotely in the back of my brain) that I might not. I hope the Air Races continue and I look forward to attending the Fiftieth edition in 2013.

References:

Clupper, Martt. "The Galloping Ghost Tragedy... Life, Risk, And The Future." AirPigz. 20 Sept. 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011.

Howe, Jim. "P-51 Galloping Ghost Reno Crash Telemetry Data." Aerobatic Display Teams, Flight Demonstration Squadrons. 29 Sept. 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011.