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Drama High as Unlimited Heats at Final Reno Air Races Gain Intensity

Fans lament engine failure of ‘Dreadnought’ and the potential cakewalk for ‘Bardahl Special’ in its wake.

The Hawker Sea Fury, ‘Dreadnought'. [Credit: Jonathan Welsh]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The National Championship Air Races in Reno are presented as a dramatic, unpredictable, and intense event, likened to an action-adventure soap opera rather than a simple, regimented competition.
  • The event strongly emphasizes the human element, showcasing the skill and composure of pilots, such as Joel Swager's expert deadstick landing after an engine failure in *Dreadnought*.
  • Beyond the races, the event involves constant, laborious efforts by mechanics and volunteers to tweak, repair, and rebuild high-performance aircraft across various classes, often against tight deadlines.
See a mistake? Contact us.

When someone asks for a basic rundown of what the annual National Championship Air Races are, I start with the facts. It is a weeklong event in Reno, Sunday to Sunday, during which pilots race specialized aircraft around courses in the Nevada desert marked with pylons.

While essentially accurate, this description fails in my opinion because it makes the event sound regimented, predictable, and perhaps even a bit boring, which it is not.

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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