On a sunny Saturday in October 2022, the Airshow Racing Series premiered at the Wings Over North Georgia Airshow at Richard B. Russell Regional Airport-J.H. Towers Field (KRMG).
Producer John Cowman describes the contest as drag racing with airplanes, featuring the drama of flat-out racing, combined with the smoke, sound, and high-G maneuvers that air show fans crave.
There are only two FAA-accredited air racing associations in the US: Cowman’s Airshow Racing Series and the Reno Air Racing Association. Jerry “Jive” Kerby, the racing series chief pilot, describes the accreditation process as thorough, starting with an evaluation of the pilot training syllabus, race course design, and safety protocols, and ending with proof-of-concept races.
The racers were classified as either “Super Sport” or “Extreme Sport,” with matched pairs squaring off in multiple racing heats.
The Super Sport class included two Pitts biplanes, piloted by Buck Roetman and Clemens Kuehlig, along with two RV-8s flown by Ken Reider and Jerry Kerby.
Scott Farnsworth in an Xtreme Air XA-42 and Bob Freeman in an Extra 300 competed in the Extreme Sports class.
In each heat, the competitors entered the course at the runway approach end, each flying in their own lane on either side of centerline. Racing side by side, the pilots wove around five inflatable pylons set 600 feet apart in each lane. Reaching the end of the run, they reversed course in a high-G pull-up into a half Cuban 8, rolling out in the opposite direction to race back to the starting point. Once there, they repeated the vertical reversal and raced back to the mid-field finish line.
Since the debut event was for demonstration only, winners were not recognized as they will be in the future. In short, everyone was a winner, especially the spectators.
Along with the racing premier, a lineup of first-class acts filled the afternoon, beginning with the Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team.
Major Haden “Gator” Fullam put his gray camouflaged A-10, widely known as the “Warthog,” through its paces, and later in the day flew an encore performance in the “Red River Hawg.” This distinctive aircraft sports a mottled green and tan paint scheme from the Vietnam War era in honor of veterans of that conflict.
Clemens Kuhlig and Buck Roetman thrilled the crowd with their Pitts biplane aerobatic routines, while Bob Freeman provided high-energy excitement in his Extra 300.
Larry Kelly in the B-25 “Panchito” lent a nostalgic air for warbird fans, and the Georgia State Patrol SWAT team showed there’s more than one way to exit a helicopter.
Father and son team Ken and Austin Reider put on a dazzling display of RV-8 formation aerobatics, and the show was rounded out with the jet-propelled Qyon Aerosports team.
This year’s 10th anniversary show offered reserved drive-in spots for tailgating along with traditional viewing options, and also welcomed fly-in spectators.
Judging from the crowd’s enthusiasm, Wings Over North Georgia is well-positioned to head into its second decade.