A close race for 2nd and 3rd in a T-6 race at the 2019 National Championship Air Races. T-6 planes are unmodified “stock” aircraft.
The 2019 Stihl National Championship Air Races have reached full speed at the Reno–Stead Airport. Qualifying races wrapped up on Friday, and medal races begin on Saturday morning and continue through Sunday afternoon. The Reno Air Races is now part of the Grunt Style Air Show Majors, a six-stop tour uniting the most prestigious air shows in the country.
Planes are divided into six classes for racing: Biplane, Formula 1, Jet, Sport, T-6, Unlimited. Some classes allow for significant customizations while others require “stock” planes.
Pure speed determines the results of some races, but others are one mostly by cleverness and skill on the part of the pilots. All races take place on ovoid courses ranging in length from just over 3 miles to just under 8 miles, depending on the class of the planes racing.
A variety of demonstration flights complement the races. Acrobatic planes draw circles above the grandstands. The Commemorative Air Force flies historic military aircraft.
The USAF Thunderbirds will perform both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. In addition, the permanent and countless temporary hangars are full of planes of all varieties and pilots willing to tell visitors all about them.
Biplanes on display in the hanger at the Reno Air Races.
A regular attendee of the Reno Air Races.
Air Race attendees and participants collect pins from manufacturers, air shows, and air races.
Biplanes approaching a pylon.
A judge watches a jet as it speeds around the pylon. The fastest planes at the Reno Air Races, these jets reach speeds in excess of 500 mph.
Pylon judges watch for pilots cutting corners on the course. Planes must fly outside the pylons, painted barrels secured to the top of a utility pole, and maintain minimum elevation of 50 ft.
An aspiring pilot gets a tour of the cockpit of Scott Holmes’s Formula 1 plane.
An aspiring pilot from Wichita, Kansas inspects the cockpit of an aircraft of display.
A mechanic works on a T-6 aircraft between races.
A P-51 Mustang flying in the Unlimited Class at the 2019 Reno Air Races.
The firemen get prime seats for the 2019 Reno Air Races
A close race for 2nd and 3rd in a T-6 race at the 2019 National Championship Air Races. T-6 planes are unmodified “stock” aircraft.
The T-6 pilots line up for the start of their race.
Two pilots in a close race as they approach a pylon.
Vans RV-8 in the Sport class race.
A Lanceair 320 competing in the Sport category at the 2019 National Championship Air Races.
Two pilots in a tight race as they round the pylon.
The T6 plane Big Red flies close to the pylon at the 2019 Reno National Championship Air Races.
Pylon judges also track pilot positions are their pylons so that race announcers can call our leaders as they fly by the grandstands.
Andrea is a freelance photographer and mountain enthusiast. She discovered the Great Basin on her first trip to California 15 years ago and finally made the move to Reno in 2019. Her favorite stories investigate efforts to strike a balance between conservation and recreation. Andrea has made images for a variety of publications, websites, and conservation organizations. In her free time—and sometimes for work!—she enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, snowshoeing, and lazy days in camp with her husband.
