General Aviation News

Because flying is cool

Scenes from the Reno Air Races 2022

By · ·

Scott Prewitt in the F1 Rocket Race 314 “Phantom Rocket” curls around pylon 8 on Friday morning in Sport Heat 2D.

While the 2022 Reno Air Races ended tragically with a fatal crash during the Jet Gold Race on Sunday, Sept. 18, there was plenty of action at Reno Stead Airport (KRTS) during the preceding week.

The races were suspended closing day when an Aero L-29 Delfín piloted by Aaron Hogue crashed behind a residential area in Reno about 3:45 p.m., according to FAA officials.

The NTSB and FAA are investigating the crash. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Air Safety Institute has also released an Early Analysis video of the crash.

The Reno events began Wednesday, Sept. 14, with qualifying heats, the recently added STOL competition, the planes on display for the National Aviation Heritage Invitational, military demonstrations, and more.

Even the beginning of this year’s races were uncertain as many heats were canceled because of a concern about smoke from wildfires impacting visibility at KRTS.

Smoky conditions prevailed throughout the week. AT-6/SNJ and Unlimited racers await better visibility on Wednesday morning.

On Saturday, Sept. 17, officials posted a weather update: “While air quality continues to be a concern, it is is considerably better at Stead Field than areas further south. The races are definitely on! We are able to race intermittently as visibility allows, and the current trend shows possible improvement over today and tomorrow.”

Photographer Bradley Orr was in Reno for the entire week and captured these photos.

Lee Oman in Race 69 “Eros” pulls up and off the course next to Gene McNeely in Race 90 “Undecided” after an AT-6/SNJ Drag Race heat.
2022 Biplane Class Gold Champion Sam Swift in his Pitts S-1S Race 3 “Smokin Hot” rounds pylon 5 Sunday morning on the way to victory.
Pat Nightingale in the Palm Springs Air Museum Bell P-63C Kingcobra Race 63 “Pretty Polly” flies by during the Unlimited Heat 3B.
Eventual 2022 AT-6/SNJ Gold Champion Chris Rushing in his AT-6B “Barons Revenge” comes up on pylon 2 during Heat 1A on Saturday afternoon.
Ty Ferkin in Kitfox Race 22 “Evinride” slipping past Home Pylon next to Brian Steck in the Legend MOAC Race 221 “Scooter” in a STOL Drag heat.
Steve Hinton Sr. in the Chino Planes of Fame F8F Bearcat led the VFA-122 F/A-18D Super Hornet in the USN Legacy Flight throughout the weekend.
Robbie Patterson in the Chino Planes of Fame P-51D Race 81 “Wee Willy” takes off.
Dusty Dowd in the Valley of Speed in his 2022 Unlimited Silver Champion P-51A Race 6 “Shanty Irish.”
Steve Coutches in P-51D Race 8/3 “Bardahl Special,” in a wonderful throwback to the 1965 racing livery of N2869D.
Palm Springs Air Museum P-63C Kingcobra Race 63 “Pretty Polly” and P-51D Race 55 “Man O’ War” being towed out to the ramp for qualifying early during race week.
F-22 Raptors await the late week crowds while Loren Marburg in AT-6G Race 73 “Humboldt Hunny” rounds the pylons during a qualifying round.
Ben Marsh’s mint NAA SNJ-4 basking in the morning sun upon arrival early Tuesday. Later in the week she earned the 2022 Neil A. Armstrong Aviation Heritage Trophy.
Legendary Lockheed Skunk Works thermodynamics engineer and air racing expert Pete Law offers some help in the Unlimited pits.
Mathias Haid showing his glee after winning the Sport Class Gold Championship on Sunday in his Thunder Mustang Race 51 “Clas Thunder 1.”
Steve Temple in Race 31 “Fraed Naught,” Justin Meaders in Race 34 “Limitless,” and Tim Cone in Race 99 “What Airplane Honey?” watch the green flag drop for Formula 1 Heat 2A on Thursday.
Jeffrey Rose awaits the green flag for Biplane Heat 1A on Wednesday in Marylin Dash’s Pitts S-1S Race 4 “Ruby.”
A Reno kind of scene with the F-22s lurking like sharks behind STOL racers Harry Beaupre in Kitfox Race 27 “Spirit of Louis” and Eddie Sanches in Highlander Race 48 “Devil Girl.”
Steve Henry adjusts the propeller on his Highlander Race 44 “Yee Haw 6” STOL racer powered by Yamaha and Garrett.
Ken Gotschall in Elmer Ward’s P-51D Race 55 “Man O’ War” taxis out for qualifying.
The Sanders Family TBM Avenger is towed back up the ramp to the statics after a smoky sunset flight after hours on Friday.
Andrew Findlay runs up his twin turbo-powered Lancair Legacy Race 30 “One Moment” on the ramp late Saturday night.
Jake Speidel’s newly acquired Cassutt III-M Race 45 “Quadnickel” has a long racing history at Reno and a brand new look on display at sunrise on Sunday.

Reader Interactions

Share this story

Become better informed pilot.

Join 110,000 readers each month and get the latest news and entertainment from the world of general aviation direct to your inbox, daily.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Curious to know what fellow pilots think on random stories on the General Aviation News website? Click on our Recent Comments page to find out. Read our Comment Policy here.

Comments

  1. Dear Sirs. My name is Richard Miralles and I am a 98 year old World War II veteran. I am writing you to try and find out about the Pilot Arron Hogue who was recently killed in a crash on 9/18/2022 at the Reno Air Races. The reason I am writing to you is to find out where he came from and any thing else you can tell me. My reason is that I was the Radioman and aerial gunner for Pilot J.C.Hogue on Guadalcanal in a SBD Divebomber in 1943. We were in the Navy flying with the Cactus Air Force because our Aircraft Carrier was sunk and they had no other carrier to put us on. I am in contact with his family members and I would like to give them my condolences if he is a family member.