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Encyclopedia > Air racing
A pair of Sport Class racers passing the finish pylon at the Reno Air Races.
A pair of Sport Class racers passing the finish pylon at the Reno Air Races.

Air racing is a sport that involves small airplanes and is practiced around the world. It is somewhat similar to auto racing; however, corporate sponsorship and broadcast media coverage occur at a much lower level than in auto racing. Composited photo of Sport Class air racers at Reno, 2003. ... Composited photo of Sport Class air racers at Reno, 2003. ... An Air France Boeing 777, a modern passenger jet. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, autosport or motorsport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ...

Contents

History

The first event in air racing history was held in 1909; the Reims Air Race from Reims, France to England lasted a week, drawing the most important plane makers and pilots of the era, as well as many celebrities and royalty. The event was won by Glenn Curtiss, who outsped the second place finisher by five seconds. Curtiss was held as "Champion Air Racer of the World". This event was held yearly for many years. Reims (English traditionally Rheims) (pronounced in French) is a city of northern France, 144 km (89 miles) east-northeast of Paris. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Glenn H. Curtiss at the Grande Semaine dAviation in France in 1909 Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, now part of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. ...


Later on, the England to Australia air race was instituted, with commercial airlines such as Air France, Imperial Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Pan Am, Qantas and others participating. The major event was suspended during World War II and never brought back. This is a list of airlines in operation (by continents and country). ... Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before its merger with KLM, it was the national airline of France, employing 71,654 people (as of January 2005). ... The Imperial Airways Empire Terminal, Victoria, London. ... KLM (in full: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English: Royal Dutch Airlines) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before its merger with Air France, KLM was the national airline of the Netherlands. ... Deutsche Lufthansa AG (pronounced ) is the largest German airline, and the second-largest in Europe (behind Air France-KLM, but before British Airways). ... Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the United States principal international airline from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991, and was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry. ... Qantas (pronounced ) is the name and callsign of the worlds second oldest continuously running independent airline behind Avianca. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead...


In 1921, the United States instituted the National Air Meets, which became the National Air Races in 1924. In 1929, the Women's Air Derby became a part of the National Air Races circuit. The National Air Races lasted until 1939. The Cleveland Air Races were one of the most important events of the National Air Races and outlived the circuit by ten years, being held until 1949. That year, pilot Bill Odom suffered a fatal crash during a race, killing himself and two people in a nearby house. In 1947, an All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race (AWTAR) dubbed the "Powder Puff Derby" was established. It ran successfully until 1977. 1930 1931 1932 The National Air Races were a series of pylon and cross-country races that took place from 1924 to 1949. ... The Powder Puff Derby was the name given to a transcontinental air race for women pilots inauguarated in 1947. ...


In 1964, Bill Stead, a Nevada rancher, pilot, and hydroplane racing enthusiast, organized the first Reno Air Races at a small dirt strip called Sky Ranch, located between Sparks, NV, and Pyramid Lake. The so-called National Championship Air Races soon moved to Reno Stead Airport and have been held there every September since 1966. The five-day event attracts attendance totalling about 200,000, and includes racing around courses marked out by tall pylons by six different classes of aircraft. It also features civil airshow acts, military flight demonstrations, and a large static aircraft display. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A pair of Sport Class racers passing the finish pylon. ... The Reno Stead Airport is a large general aviation airport located in the north valleys area of Reno, Nevada. ...


Other promoters have run various pylon racing events across the nation, including races in Mojave, CA in 1978; at Hamilton, CA, in 1988; in Phoenix, AZ in 1994 and 1995; and in Tunica, Mississippi in 2005.

Air racing in England: the Red Bull Air Race heat held at Kemble airfield, Gloucestershire. The aircraft fly singly, and have to pass between pairs of pylons
Air racing in England: the Red Bull Air Race heat held at Kemble airfield, Gloucestershire. The aircraft fly singly, and have to pass between pairs of pylons

Recently, Red Bull has sponsored a series called the Red Bull Air Race in which competitors fly singly through a series of gates, between which they must perform a prescribed series of aerobatics maneuvers. Usually held over water near large cities, the series has has attracted large crowds and brough substantial media interest in air racing for the first time in decades. Air racing in England: the Red Bull Air Race heat held at Kemble airfield, Gloucestershire. ... Air racing in England: the Red Bull Air Race heat held at Kemble airfield, Gloucestershire. ... Red Bull is the brand name of a soft drink that originated in Thailand and is now popular throughout the world. ... Red Bull Air Race heat held at Kemble airfield, Gloucestershire, England in June 2004 The Red Bull Air Race World Series, established in 2003 and sponsored by Red Bull, is an international series of air races with the participation of at least five pilots for each race, in which competitors... The Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team of the Italian Air Force, flying at the Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford, England, in 2005 The UK Utterly Butterly display team perform an aerobatic maneuvre with their Boeing Stearmans Red Arrows Hawks in Concorde formation Aerobatics is the demonstration of flying maneuvers for recreation...


Notable air racers

Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) Bessie Queen Bess Coleman (January 26, 1892 – April 30, 1926), was the first African American woman to become an airplane pilot, and the first American woman to hold an international pilot license. ... Jacqueline Cochran, born Bessie Lee Pittman (May 11, 1906 - August 7, 1980) was a pioneer American aviatrix. ... Glenn H. Curtiss at the Grande Semaine dAviation in France in 1909 Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, now part of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. ... General James Harold Jimmy Doolittle, Sc. ... Amelia Earhart (1897-1937?) Amelia Mary Earhart (July 24, 1897 – missing as of July 2, 1937), daughter of Edwin and Amy Earhart, was an American aviator and noted early female pilot who mysteriously disappeared over the Pacific Ocean during a circumnavigational flight in 1937. ... Darryl Greenamyer is an American aviator with many accomplishments. ... Skip Holm is a well respected, veteran combat pilot who lives on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. ... R. A. Bob Hoover (born c. ... Laura Ingalls Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, August 14, 1930 Laura Ingalls (1901-1967) was a female pilot of the 1930s. ... Anthony W. Tony LeVier (February 14, 1913 - February 6, 1998) was an air racer and test pilot for the Lockheed Corporation from the 1940s to the 1970s. ... Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr. ... Blanche Noyes (1900-1981) Blanche Noyes (1900 – October 1981) was a pioneering female aviator. ... Susan Oliver Susan Oliver (February 13, 1932 – May 10, 1990) was an American actress, television director and record-setting pilot. ... Jon Sharp is the head coach of Super League club Huddersfield Giants. ... Patty Wagstaff (née Patricia Rosalie Kearns Combs) was born in St. ... Kingsford Smith in his flying gear Air Commodore Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, (February 9, 1897 - November 8, 1935), often called Charles Kingsford-Smith, or by his nickname Smithy, was the best-known early Australian aviator. ...

Trivia

  • Set in the 1930s, the movie Porco Rosso briefly touches on the early days of air racing.

Porco Rosso , lit. ...

External links



 

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