Ever since John Dowd, a career crop-spraying pilot, flew his Yak-11 to victory at 376 mph in the Silver race at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, in 2016, he felt the former Russian World War II trainer could do better. Following the race, Dowd was riding a wave of gratification, knowing he had at least set a record for aircraft powered by the Pratt & Whitney R1830 Twin Wasp engine, sourced from a Douglas DC-3. “That was the fastest that engine has ever gone,” he says. And while he is not the type to mention it, his Yak—named Lilya, for Russian wartime fighter pilot her ..read more

Today in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, I’ll be flying the Supermarine S.5, the British racing airplane from the 1920s that pointed the way to one of the most iconic airplanes of World War II—the Spitfire. This is also the story of the Schneider Trophy, one of the most prestigious prizes in early aviation that sparked fierce international competition to develop the fastest airplanes in the world. The trophy was the brainchild of Jacques Schneider, a French hydroplane boat racer and balloon pilot who was sidelined by a crash injury. Originally an annual contest, starting in 1912, it promised ..read more

Born on August 14, 1932, in Wichita, Kansas, Clay Lacy came by his lifetime in aviation honestly from the very beginning. He began flying at age 12 and had 1,000 hours by the time he joined United Airlines as a Douglas DC-3 copilot at age 19 in 1952. At UAL he also flew the Convair 340, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, DC-8, DC-10, and Boeing 727. He retired off the Boeing 747-400 in 1992, holding seniority number 1. He set an around-the-world record in a Boeing 747SP in 1988, making it in 36 hours, 54 minutes, and 15 seconds—and raising $530,000 for children’s charities. In 1964, Lacy was a demonstration p ..read more

If attending the Reno Air Races is on your bucket list, make your plans now. According to the Reno Air Race Association (RARA), this is the last year the National Championship Air Races will be held at the Reno-Stead Airport (KRTS). A location for next year has not been announced. The airport was built in 1942. The races have been held at Reno-Stead since 1964, when it was known as Stead Air Force Base. Today, the airport is shared by the military and civilians as a general aviation airport. “It is with heavy hearts that we write this to let you know that, after nearly 60 years of air racing ..read more

When you examine the competition aerobatics and air racing careers of six-time French female aerobatics champion Mélanie Astles, they tell a story of intense focus, of setting and attaining goals, and of overcoming any challenges that would impede her success. Hers is a story best described by the word “perseverance,” and since 2007, when she first started training and competing in aerobatics, she has allowed nothing to stand in her way. An example of her determination and willingness to adapt to challenges was her 2014 appearance at the World Advanced Aerobatic Championships. She was sharing ..read more

A total of 24 new candidates for the STIHL National Championship Air Races—the heart pumping annual competition at the Reno-Stead Airport in Nevada—recently completed the training required to participate in the races. The Pylon Racing Seminar is a six-day program that includes ground and flight instruction designed to teach the rules and procedures that make the races as safe as possible and fine tune the formation skills required to fly around the pylons close to several other airplanes. “Seeing new racers discover the love of head-to-head racing, mastering their skill and doing it all with ..read more

The six-cylinder, 310-hp Continental growls and pops as I line up on Runway 7L then builds to a throaty roar as I open the throttle. I feed it in slowly, just like Joe told me to, in order to keep this Lancair with its castoring nosewheel, tiny tail and monstrous torque pointed straight down the runway. But around the time I figure I’m at full throttle, I discover I have another inch to “firewall power,” and when I get there, the ­acceleration becomes gut-wrenching. We’re up to 85 knots in no time at all. I ease back on the stick, and we leap into the dry desert air. This is my first time fly ..read more

As race teams ramp up design and innovation ahead of the inaugural Air Race E all-electric air race series to debut in 2020, Condor Aviation of North Yorkshire, England, unveiled their “White Lightning” race plane, the world’s first air racing airplane powered solely by electricity. The announcement came as the team displayed their entry at the 2019 Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates. The Air Race E series is headed by international air racing promoter Jeff Zaltman and will present a series of head-to-head international air races, showcasing not only the skills of the pilots, but also ..read more

Crop dusting—better-known today as agricultural aviation or aerial application—is a unique form of flying that arguably combines the precision of a carrier landing with the low-altitude excitement of airshow maneuvers. Outside observers, including other pilots, are often struck by how low agricultural aircraft fly when applying chemicals to farmland. In general, private pilots tend to fly much higher than, say, the “1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft” that the FAA prescribes over congested areas. So the sight of a small aircraft flyi ..read more

A total of 115 women pilots will take off on the flight of a lifetime when the flag drops at 8 a.m. (ET) on June 21, marking the start of the 45th annual Air Race Classic (ARC).  Among them will be Marie Carastro, 94, the oldest competitor in the race’s 93-year history. Marie will be joined by her teammates, grand-daughter Danielle Carastro, who at age 16 was the youngest ARC participant (2016 race), and daughter Susan Carastro (Danielle’s aunt). Their team is one of two with multi-generational members of the same family competing in this year’s race, says Donna Harris, director of finan ..read more