Reno National Championship Air Races
Thursday September 16, 2010
It’s a great day at the races! The weather is beautiful, a sunny 83 degrees and the sky has a few clouds for all the photographers. The crowds are gathering and the races have begun officially.
The morning started with Formula 1 and Bi-Planes running two heats each and was followed by my favorites, the T6 Silver Heat. All six of the T-6 Silver racers finished, with only Race 90 – Pilot Lee Oman flying Undecided beating his posted qualification speed (222.021 mph) by mph 0.233 mph. They may be holding back to keep the engines in shape for the races to come this weekend.
The T-6 Gold race, Heat 1 had the leading contender Pilot Nick Macy flying Six Cat post a DNF. Nick called a mayday and landed safely on runway 14 with a possible oil leak and power failure. Hard to determine the severity of the mechanical challenge with Nick’s easy going personality…
I had the privilege of interviewing Steve Hinton Jr. today, Pilot of Race 7 Strega. He looked great, had lots to say and is really looking forward to the big race on Sunday. His piercing blue – green eyes are stunning – they reflect an old soul in contrast to his 23 year old body.
What grace and poise this man possesses – he’s smart, quiet and confident and has a something beyond a gift for flying. He’s had the stewardship of many great flyers, like his father Steve Hinton Sr., who has a race history at Reno and now flies the Pace Plane for the Unlimited Class. Over the last few years Stevo’s worked his way up the ranks under Owner Tiger Destefani’s tutelage and has a comprehensive understanding of the beautiful P-51D. This truly is a man who was born to race and a man who will inspire many generations of aviation devotees.
WarBirdBabe 