Wildfire along The 'V-O-S'!!!

[BuckyD]

'Literally-speaking', that is... A real wildfire - seen burning along the 'Valley-of-Speed'!

DBD

[MikeS]

Re: Wildfire along The 'V-O-S'!!!

Was 1987 a tough year for fires!???

[Inverted]

Re: Wildfire along The 'V-O-S'!!!

I was 5 I dont remember 1987

[WASP-kid]

Re: Wildfire along The 'V-O-S'!!!

Hmmmmm, was Fat Albert in the neighborhood in '87?

[BuckyD]

Re: Wildfire along The 'V-O-S'!!!

To quote from Mr. Harvey- "And now, Here's the Rest of the Story..."

Going back in time to Reno '87 NCAR - Monday 9/14/87 - First Unlimited Qualifying & Practice Period:

We were shooting the Unlimiteds from the fenceline along the Valley of Speed, just off the West Guide Pylon. Towards the end of the session, Dean Cutshall was making his qualification run in his P-51D #91 'E2S' (a.k.a.- 'Cutter's Capers'/N51KD).

As soon as his plane went by the pylon- almost immediately a white smokey hot spot errupted from the sagebrush nearby out on the racecourse. The parched desert was especially fire-prone, after a long hot & dry summer season, and the sky was intermittently hazy from the smoke of numerous lightning-sparked range fires that had been raging throughout the region. To make matters worse, it was quite windy that day, w/changing fickle wind directions.

In no time, flames ignited & grew into a real wildfire in right front of us. Next thing we knew, the wind shifted and headed the blaze our way!

About that time, some fire crews arrived on-scene to fight the fire, and they yelled for everyone to high-tail it out of the vicinity, which we were doing already on our own. They managed to get the wildfire under control and eventually put it out.

From the timing of events, it was apparent that something hot coming off the Mustang hauling-by, had started the conflagration - most likely a departing Merlin engine exhaust stack. My hunch proved correct, when I returned to the pits at Stead Field, and noted Cutshall's race crew already engaged in repairs to replace the errant P-51 exhaust stack.

A week later, on Monday followng the end of race week, I headed back out to the site of the brush fire in search of the missing stack for retrieval as an air racing memento. I found it right away, laying starkly by itself on the charred desert ground, exactly where it had ignited the wildfire.

Here's a few photos documenting the incident that day, including a detail shot of the exhaust stack as it looks today. (Note: That's actually Cutshall's pal & fellow race pilot- John Dilley, seen exiting E2S. Dilley & partner-Tom Kelley are fondly-remembered for fielding their own yellow-noser P-51D stock racer- #19 LOU IV/N51TK, 1978-86.)

All sorts of unexpected things can occur out on the racecourse, so keep a- 'Heads-up! at all times when you're out there havin' fun! DBD

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Wildfire along The 'V-O-S'!!!

Bucky, do you remember (stupid question), I think it was, maybe '98, or so.. last year Lyle flew the Bear... The year he Maydayed and landed on the road (someone, in another decade, called it a runway).. err that thing we transition between outer 8 and inner 4 on, that was once a runway.. Also, on Sunday, Tige landed there.. I think he and Lyle almost traded paint... at the end of Sunday Gold..

Wherever Lyle flew, 10 seconds later, there was smoke.. curious ring of brush fires, all round the course...

Tag has some good photos of the charred cowling (coming soon to rarebear.com)

No matter how well all involved attempt to keep the Sunday Gold race within normal bounds of what can happen, should happen, is gonna happen...

When octane reaches horsepower.

All bets are off, stuff's gonna burn, heads are gonna turn... This is RENO!

PS.. Bucky.. have you played with the individual gallery feature of the new software yet??

Not to worry, Mark K is onboard, workin' very hard, and we have pledged to help bring the historic archives to light in the most beneficial way possible!

Is the net awesome or what!

Night Night..

[sledge39]

Re: Wildfire along The 'V-O-S'!!!

.
...this one didn't quite get far enough to start any fires...

...Ben Hall...N5482V..."Race 2"...


.

[BuckyD]

Re: Wildfire along The 'V-O-S'!!!

Bucky, do you remember (stupid question), I think it was, maybe '98, or so.. last year Lyle flew the Bear... The year he Maydayed and landed on the road (someone, in another decade, called it a runway).. err that thing we transition between outer 8 and inner 4 on, that was once a runway.. Also, on Sunday, Tige landed there.. I think he and Lyle almost traded paint... at the end of Sunday Gold..

Wherever Lyle flew, 10 seconds later, there was smoke.. curious ring of brush fires, all round the course...

Tag has some good photos of the charred cowling (coming soon to rarebear.com)

No matter how well all involved attempt to keep the Sunday Gold race within normal bounds of what can happen, should happen, is gonna happen...

When octane reaches horsepower.

All bets are off, stuff's gonna burn, heads are gonna turn... This is RENO!

PS.. Bucky.. have you played with the individual gallery feature of the new software yet??

Not to worry, Mark K is onboard, workin' very hard, and we have pledged to help bring the historic archives to light in the most beneficial way possible!

Is the net awesome or what!

Night Night..

Hi Wayne -

"RENO '97 GOLD" (See a text/photo reponse tag to my prev.- 'A Hole In One' thread).

Haven't played w/the new software's gallery feature yet. Still figuring out it's quirks for posting attachments (redundant 'log-ins' have been frustrating).

Very happy to hear Mark 'Cobra' K. is back on board and getting the Pylon 1 archives ready to add-on to this site. That will be sweet to see happen & another asset for aafo. Welcome back, Mark!

Check you later, alligator. THANKS!

DBD