STIHL National Championship Air Races
For 53 years the National Championship Air Races have made the high desert north of Reno, Nevada their home. Every September, hundreds of aircraft, their pilots and crews make the trip to compete and demonstrate the high level of skill as they cut through the air around a course marked by pylons standing tall in the sagebrush.
Multiple classes of aircraft take part in the event. Formula One, Sport, Bi-Plane, T-6, Jets, and of course the Unlimited Class filled mostly with P51 Mustangs. You can’t beat the sound of those Mustangs entering the course and speeding by at 400+ miles per hour. Imagine planes roaring by 50 feet off the ground, banking around pylons, passing to gain position, and racing toward the finish line.
Add to the races a number of demonstrations including acrobatics and a beautiful business jet that took to the sky. The Commemorative Air Force took to the sky with a PBJ (Navy version of the B-25), a Bearcat, Hellcat, and a Japanese Zero. The highlight of the demonstrations was the United States Air Force Thunderbirds with their precision flying and incredible skill.
A huge win to all who attended. Here are number of photos from the day.
