Another oldie...

[wingman]

Things were different back then...

I can hear everybody saying 'Well, duh!" but it's true.

This was taken way back in 1978. It was another chilly wet year, with great big scenic skies. Back then there were no Race trailers, or motorhomes, or golf carts running around. During qualifying at least, most everybody left and went to town in the evening -- leaving the pits to us lunatics crazy enough to stand around in the cold with our cameras.

It all made for some pretty pictures, sometimes.

Neal

[sandramore]

Re: Another oldie...

Yeah, but those were the good old days, Neal. I miss them. We had some great parties at Harrahs.

Really nice picture, btw.

[Ramjets]

Re: Another oldie...

Ooooooooh...this is soooo cool. One of the things I really, really miss are the planes on Virginia Street. Neal, I don't suppose you got any shots of that? Just wishin'...ya' know?

[Desertdawg]

Re: Another oldie...

Wingman,

Nice picture. Thats the year we had wind and snow :-)

My first air races.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Another oldie...

Nice pic, Neal....love the candy-stripes, as always...but even better in this pic with the Circus Circus clown on the wing. As I remember, didn't he have a big Circus Circus across the bottom like the Red Baron did? And of course that was the same year they sponsored Cote's Shoestring.

Bill Bennett and Bill Pennington had just opened the Circus Circus Reno, and were trying to promote it. Two planes at Reno, an Unlimited Hydroplane, and Buddy Baker's Winston Cup car. THOSE were the days.....

[Reever]

Re: Another oldie...

That was my first year. And Miss Candace was the first Mustang I ever saw fly in person. Man, Sunday was COLD!

[sandramore]

Re: Another oldie...

Bill Bennett and Bill Pennington had just opened the Circus Circus Reno, and were trying to promote it.

Good lord, is your head full of casino history as well?

[Big_Jim]

Re: Another oldie...

Good lord, is your head full of casino history as well?

No...more that my friend was driving the Miss Circus Circus hydroplane at the time. And I told him that anyone who would drive a pink and white boat wearing a hot pink driving suit...and could still manage to WIN was alright in my book!

[Reever]

Re: Another oldie...

No...more that my friend was driving the Miss Circus Circus hydroplane at the time. And I told him that anyone who would drive a pink and white boat wearing a hot pink driving suit...and could still manage to WIN was alright in my book!

Was that the three point hull hydroplane that use to be on display at the Circus Circus?

[John]

Re: Another oldie...

Things were different back then...

I can hear everybody saying 'Well, duh!" but it's true.

This was taken way back in 1978. It was another chilly wet year, with great big scenic skies. Back then there were no Race trailers, or motorhomes, or golf carts running around. During qualifying at least, most everybody left and went to town in the evening -- leaving the pits to us lunatics crazy enough to stand around in the cold with our cameras.

It all made for some pretty pictures, sometimes.

Neal

This photo and one of the earlier photos you posted in the other thread show the wings on Miss Candace to be painted a similar color to the original Cleveland era Galloping Ghost. Does this prove anything in regards to the origin of the aircraft? ...or was the wing just painted to match the original? I know Big Jim has his opinions!

...also, why was the paint removed during the Jeannie era?

[Big_Jim]

Re: Another oldie...

From the time Dr. Cliff bought N79111 in 1967, through 1974, the wings were polished metal. They filled and painted them white in 1975 and it stayed that way through 1978. I can promise you it had nothing to do with paying homage to the 'heritage' of the N-number...it was purely a Supe Hoisington deal to try to make a better wing surface and profile.

When Wiley bought the plane they stripped the paint and bondo off the wings, fixed all the stuff that was wrong with it during 10 years of Dr. Cliff racing it...and then promptly went 25 mph faster than it had ever gone before, even with the filled/painted wings.

Call that an 'opinion' if you'd like, but.....it's how it happened.

[Leo]

Re: Another oldie...

The stripes were from his 86th Fighter Group service.
There was a good article in Air Classics bac in 77-78 about the plane and Dr. Cummins. The poor guy had nothing but bad luck with Miss Candace.

[BuckyD]

Re: Another oldie...

Hey Leo-

Yes- that's a great article indeed on Cliff & Miss Candace & thanks f/pointing-out the WW2 historical tie of the red tail stripes to Dr. Cummins' WW2 T-Bolt unit f/thread readers here.

Well, Cliff DID have one crowning moment in his gremlin-troubled Unlimited Class air racing career & that, of course, was his spectacular (& cunning) UNL Gold win @ Mojave '75 (a.k.a. -"The Super Race") over the then-dominant mighty modified Bearcats of Greenamyer & Shelton. Happy to say I own a 16mm copy of the Super Race film too. Cliff was one of the classiest race pilots ever to turn a pylon, in my book.

DBD

[sandramore]

Re: Another oldie...

Has anyone talked to the Doc lately? When I checked in on him a couple of years ago, he was alive and well. <hoping he hasn't passed away since then>

Hey Leo-

Yes- that's a great article indeed on Cliff & Miss Candace & thanks f/pointing-out the WW2 historical tie of the red tail stripes to Dr. Cummins' WW2 T-Bolt unit f/thread readers here.

Well, Cliff DID have one crowning moment in his gremlin-troubled Unlimited Class air racing career & that, of course, was his spectacular (& cunning) UNL Gold win @ Mojave '75 (a.k.a. -"The Super Race") over the then-dominant mighty modified Bearcats of Greenamyer & Shelton. Happy to say I own a 16mm copy of the Super Race film too. Cliff was one of the classiest race pilots ever to turn a pylon, in my book.

DBD

[stuntflyr]

Re: Another oldie...

From the time Dr. Cliff bought N79111 in 1967, through 1974, the wings were polished metal. They filled and painted them white in 1975 and it stayed that way through 1978. I can promise you it had nothing to do with paying homage to the 'heritage' of the N-number...it was purely a Supe Hoisington deal to try to make a better wing surface and profile.

When Wiley bought the plane they stripped the paint and bondo off the wings, fixed all the stuff that was wrong with it during 10 years of Dr. Cliff racing it...and then promptly went 25 mph faster than it had ever gone before, even with the filled/painted wings.

Call that an 'opinion' if you'd like, but.....it's how it happened.

I thought I had a magazine air to air picture with Cliff flying the airplane in SoCal, all stock and polished in 1965. Also, I thought it was being overhauled in '61-62 with Cliff as owner. Bad memory? Bad info?
Chris...