Reno air races 2019

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All these pics were taken on Wednesday during qualifying. The Gold Cup race is this Sunday. So far last years winner Dreadnaught, a Hawker Sea Fury powered by a 28 cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 is the favorite. Of course Papa Bear was there selling some of his copyrighted products, as well as cutting some hot laps in his Grumman F8F Bear Cat. Named Rare Bear! Apologize for any duplicated pics.

 

[Buffalobwana]

The Reno Air Races have been in Reno forever ... Duh ... except for 1990(?) when they came to Sherman TX, my hometown. So cool to see these old birds.

 

[mkcoen]

Not sure if it was the one in pic #2 of the 1st post but a local friend of mine was flying a P-39 there last year (not his plane but he's a big pilot in the War Bird community).

 

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The aircraft in the 2nd. picture is a Bell P-63 King Cobra, a later derivative of the Bell P-39 Air cobra. The P-39 saw some action in the Pacific, but both models saw action on the Eastern Front with the Soviet Air Force. The Russians liked the 37mm cannon that fired through the center of the prop, they were good tank busters.

 

[Guyfang]

I am eating my heart out. We went to the Reno races 5-6 times when I was a kid. 1966 was one I will always remember. And we used to hike over the hills behind Yorba Linda, and then we would come in on the back side of the Chino air port. We always spent the night camped out at Dorothy's Peak. All day hiking, and then the PLANES! Oh man, those were the days. Between Chino and Reno, a boy could dream.

 

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Guy I know what you mean, I grew up in an aviation family. My Father was a USAF Korean War veteran who worked on C-47s and C-54s. My Mom and Dad both worked at Northrup Aircraft on Prairie Ave. in Hawthorne, CA. They were involved in the XB & YB 35 & XB & YB 49 the flying wings. Then the Snark ground to ground missile, the T-38 Talon and F-5 Tiger. I remember my Mom picked me up from school one day and said, I want to show you a plane that landed in the middle of the street. (Prairie Ave.) When we got there, here was a USAF F-100 Super Sabre sitting in the middle of the street gear up and parachute stretched out behind. An emergency landing. As I got older I built just about every airplane model Revell and AMT made. I was hooked like my parents before me. A few years latter I applied for work at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach CA., and was excited beyond belief when the Manager who interviewed me called and asked when I wanted to come to work. I was in shock! Now after 34 years I have retired, having worked on the DC-9/MD-80, MD-11 and all 279 production C-17s. I also had the privilege of working with some great people. The memories will last forever.

 

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Guy here is a vid. of the arrivals at the 2014 Reno Air Races, with my favorite Dreadnaught.…..I was a Chino Junkie Too.