Wikinews visits the 2008 Reno Air Races

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 

The last pass is flown, the final lap completed, the winner has long since left the circle with "Gold Unlimited" race trophy. The only thing left of the 45th National Championship Air Races & Air Show, in Reno, NV is the awards dinner, which will take place away from the airfields and hangars, and the photos and memories of the event.

The week's festivities and hard fought races came to its climax on Sunday with the final races for the Biplane, Formula One, Jet, Sport, T-6, and Unlimited classes. This year saw some of the fastest races in its history as records were set in 4 classes; the Biplane Gold at 251 mph, the Jet Gold at 510 mph, the T-6 gold at 244 mph, and the Sport Class SuperSport Gold at 392 mph.

The highlight of the week was, of course, the Unlimited Gold Class race. The winner was Bill 'Tiger' Destefani in the P-51D Mustang, Strega. He finished the 8 lap, 66.9 mile course with a fastest lap of 483 mph. Additionally, this is Destefani's 7th championship as well as his last year of racing. The Second and Third places went to Dan Martin in Dago Red and Michael Brown in September Fury, respectively.

Gallery

On the Ground / Pre-Race

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  The GAU-8/A 30mm Gatling cannon on the front on an A-10 Thunderbolt II
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  An F4U Corsair on display
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  An F-18 Hornet sitting on the tarmac warming its engines before departure
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  Tinkertoy, winner of the T-6 Gold Class, before the race
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  Breathless, winner of the Sport Gold Class, before the race
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  Voodoo, winner of the Unlimited Class Bronze, before the race
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  911 September Pops, winner of the Unlimited Class Silver, before the race
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  Strega, winner of the Unlimited Class Gold, before the race

Races

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  T-6 Class Silver race start
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  Radial Velocity passing the final pylon to win the T-6 Class Silver race
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  Voodoo crossing the home pylon during the Unlimited Bronze Class race
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  Race 57 and American Beauty jockeying for position in the Unlimited Silver Class race
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  Big Bossman, an F7F, during the Unlimited Silver Class race
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  911 Semptember Pops passing the home pylon to win the Unlimited Silver Class race
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  Strega passing the home pylon to win the Unlimited Gold Class race

Demonstration flights

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  An aerial acrobatic demonstration
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  A T-33 Shooting Star during a demonstration flight
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  A C-130 on takeoff
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  The Alaska Air National Guard C-130 showing off for the crowd
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  A flyover by a B-17 bomber
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  A C-17 Globemaster III out of Hawaii making a flyby
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  The top side of an F-22
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  The under side of an F-22 Raptor on a high speed pass
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  An F-22 showing off its weapons bay
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  An F-22 flying inverted
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  An F-22 during a high speed turn
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  The beginning of the Heritage flight with an F-22 Raptor, a P-38 Lightning and a P-51 Mustang
• 
  Heritage flight in formation

Sources

• Reno Air Racing Association
• Tim Kern. "Records in four classes at Reno Air Races" — RGJ, September 14, 2008
• Guy Clifton. "Pilot ends career with seventh Reno Air Races championship" — RGJ, September 15, 2008