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Sun. 9/9/12-3:46pm-Reno NCAR-UNL Practice Session: Matt Jackson brings Chuck Greenhill's beautiful Hawker Super Sea Fury UNL Class Gold Trophy racer~#15-'FURIAS' (NX4434P) down onto Stead Field's outer racecourse to fly some powered-up practice test-laps.
Mon. 9/12/83-Reno NCAR-UNL Qualifying & Practice: Legendary aviator~Col. Lefty Gardner dives his famous twin-engined WW2 Lockheed P-38L Lightning pursuit fighter~#13-'White Lightnin' (N25Y) down onto Stead Field racecourse's W. Chute~'V-O-S' (a.k.a~"The Valley-of-Speed") to execute a successful qualification run.
I am so glad to have had the privilege of seeing him race and perform so many times. My absolute, all-time favorite racer. He wasn't fast but totally blew everyone away on the cool scale with his flying ability, low passes and that super-sexy sound.
In 82 we were visiting pylon 4 when he was qualifying (among others). You got that rush of air and sound from all the racers flashing by, but Lefty was the only one that actually kicked up dust and gravel as he passed.
Thanks for posting that. Lefty and White Lightning sure were crowd favorites.
Dam I miss them both. He loved getting down on the deck, wonder what he would have said if they penalized him for flying low
His solo demonstration in #13 was also special, right up there with Bob Hoovers Gulf Stream performance.
Glad I was around to remember him. "Wheres Lefty, oh he's really low, he'll pop up in a minute"
I saw a lot of Hoover's performances but I have never seen or heard in reference to a performance in a Gulfstream. Any video of that one around?
Chris...
I saw a lot of Hoover's performances but I have never seen or heard in reference to a performance in a Gulfstream. Any video of that one around?
Chris...
I may have misquoted on the model, Shrike Commander maybe?
Either way the end was a nail biter, cut the engines, do a loop and 4 point roll and come in and land, sometimes we thought he wouldn't reach the runway, but he always did.
I am just getting to my old VHS videos, digitizing them. Some where I have that.
Fri. 9/12/97-Reno NCAR-UNL HT2A: The 2013 New Year marks the 50th-Anniversary of The Reno National Championship Air Races coming-up in September & this vintage archive photo captures the two most-successful Unlimited Class Gold Trophy racers in the history of ‘The World’s-Fastest Motorsport’ & it’s most-famous competitive arch-rival race teams~ Bill ‘Tiger’ Destefani’s P-51D Mustang #7-‘Strega’ (N71FT) & Lyle Shelton’s F8F-2 Bearcat #77-“Rare Bear” (N777L-now owned & raced by Rod Lewis).
Here’s how these two Gold Champion raceplanes match-up statistically in Reno NCAR competition to date: STREGA~ 11-ea. Reno Gold Trophy titles (’87, ’92, ’93, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’08, ’09, ‘10*, ‘11* & ’12) vs. RARE BEAR~ 10-ea. Reno Gold Trophy titles (’73, ’75, ’88, ’89, ‘90’, 91, ‘94*, ’04, ’05, & ’07).
*Note: When considering only Sunday UNL Gold Race final events actually-staged (w/Reno ’10 & ’11 cancelled Gold finals), then the tally would be: RARE BEAR~ 10-ea. vs. STREGA~ 9-ea. (or~ 'Tied' w/each other @ 9-Gold Races apiece, if one discounts Rare Bear’s Reno ’94 ‘Super-Gold Shootout’ win being considered).
Regardless, these two legendary super-modified Unlimited Gold Champion heavy-metal air racing thoroughbreds represent nearly-half of all Reno NCAR UNL Gold Trophy wins. Now THAT’s both impressive & amazing, and quite a tribute to the owners, pilots & crews of both TEAM STREGA & TEAM RARE BEAR over the years~a fact well-celebrated by their respective air race team fans!
DBD
Thanks Bucky for keeping your eye on the ball and bringing your fabulous work here to share!
He also demo-ed a BD-4 or 5 one year. The amazing feat was getting that lanky frame of his into it. Had to be in the very late 70' or early 80's. Where is Brad Haskins when you need him???
He also demo-ed a BD-4 or 5 one year. The amazing feat was getting that lanky frame of his into it. Had to be in the very late 70' or early 80's. Where is Brad Haskins when you need him???
I have seen some old footage of Hoover in the Bede at Reno but I can't remember the year. I do remember that it was the first BD-5J that was ever built and his wife was not happy when she found out he had been flying it.
Sun. 5/5/13-Planes of Fame Airshow-Chino, CA: No active military a/c participation here, with POF Museum rising above the current government sequestration's~ 'grounding-effects', by assembling their own colorful & amazingly-eclectic Heritage Flight captured in this fly-past photo, during their annual airshow extravaganza last week. That's John Maloney piloting the ultra-rare pre-WW2 vintage Boeing P-26A 'Peashooter' pursuit fighter, Steve Hinton in the brightly-polished Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk, John Hinton in the WW2 North American P-51D Mustang-"Spam Can" & Chris Fahey in the Korean War-era North American F-86F Sabrejet.
Nobody does it better than the great folks at Planes of Fame, for putting on a super-exciting weekend flying-display of beautifully-restored rare classic warbirds of every type, while creating a real celebration of flight. This year's P-38 theme featuring five flying Lockheed Lightnings was impressive, to say the least.
Thur. 9/17/98-Reno NCAR: As sunset approaches, crew members work together servicing the powerful Rolls-Royce Griffon V-12 inline engine in their beautiful super-modified Unlimited Class racer~ #38-"Miss Ashley II" (NX57LR), to be ready for the next day of heat race competition.
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