End of an Air Racing Era
Shocking and sad news rippled through the Air racing community this week with the announcement that 59th Annual Reno Air Races will be the last held at Stead Field in Reno, Nevada. The national championship air races at this location have stood the test of time for the last 59 years, while other air races and venues have come and gone with no lasting success. Reno’s high altitude, desert climate with generally favorable weather conditions, nearby infrastructure of hotels and casinos, has been perfectly suited for hosting 6 different classes of air racing. The RARA stated that the decision to end the air races at Reno-Stead Airport was unilaterally made by the Reno Tahoe Airport authority. The one of the main reasons given for this decision is the rapid growth and development /encroachment in the surrounding area of the airport and race coarse. Other potential reasons include the airport becoming a major cargo/logistics hub, which would be problematic to shut down in order to accommodate the week long racing and airshow schedule. RARA is confident that the National Championship Air Races will continue beyond 2023, as they are actively exploring several possible alternate locations to host the event in 2024. Organizers are planning to hold the final National Championship Air Races in Reno from September 13-17. They are expecting more than 150 airplanes, static aircraft displays, airshow performances from top civilian and military pilots, educational discovery zones and a fan favorite STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) Drag competition for the third year in a row. We at the IARF want to wish our colleagues at RARA a fantastic finish to the Air Races in Reno and a success in finding an alternate site to continue the Air Races!!!
airrace.org
Shocking and sad news rippled through the Air racing community this week with the announcement that 59th Annual Reno Air Races will be the last held at Stead Field in Reno, Nevada. The national championship air races at this location have stood the test of time for the last 59 years, while other air races and venues have come and gone with no lasting success. Reno’s high altitude, desert climate with generally favorable weather conditions, nearby infrastructure of hotels and casinos, has been perfectly suited for hosting 6 different classes of air racing. The RARA stated that the decision to end the air races at Reno-Stead Airport was unilaterally made by the Reno Tahoe Airport authority. The one of the main reasons given for this decision is the rapid growth and development /encroachment in the surrounding area of the airport and race coarse. Other potential reasons include the airport becoming a major cargo/logistics hub, which would be problematic to shut down in order to accommodate the week long racing and airshow schedule. RARA is confident that the National Championship Air Races will continue beyond 2023, as they are actively exploring several possible alternate locations to host the event in 2024. Organizers are planning to hold the final National Championship Air Races in Reno from September 13-17. They are expecting more than 150 airplanes, static aircraft displays, airshow performances from top civilian and military pilots, educational discovery zones and a fan favorite STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) Drag competition for the third year in a row. We at the IARF want to wish our colleagues at RARA a fantastic finish to the Air Races in Reno and a success in finding an alternate site to continue the Air Races!!!
airrace.org