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National Championship Air Races 2005

Reno / Nevada

- by Gerhard Schmid, translation by Jurgen Binnemans -

Four years ago the Jet Class was introduced and since then jet fans find their way to Reno. However there are - as in the T-6 Class - very strict rules. Only jets of the Czech type Aero Vodochody L-39 "Albatros" are certified. These must be standard machines, without major modifications. The safety of all participating airplanes in this class is checked by the German specialist Bernd Rehn and his crew, on behalf of the FAA.
#47 A member of John Bagley's team polishes the horizontal tail unit of the L-39. Between races there is much time for maintenance of the airplanes.
race Cliff Magee from Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the #25 closely behind Lee Behel with the # 7. Cliff wasn't able to overtake Lee. A whole 1.9 mph separated the two pilots.
#25 Also in the team of #25 "Giantkiller.Biz", they prepare the "Albatros" for the forthcoming race.
#47 John Bagley's #47 passes the home pylon. From this perspective one can recognize the elegant form of the L-39 "Albatros".
#25 Together with instructor-pilot Dave Morss, the pilot of the #25 Cliff Magee goes up for an evening practice flight.
race Pure nerve-racking flying: John Bagley wants to overtake. John was an unbelievable 0.4 mph faster and put Lee Behel thereby into 5th place.
#1 Dave Morss, who flies in several classes, rolls here in the #1 "Tejas Pistolaero" on the taxiway to runway 08. With 438,3 mph Dave reached the third place.
#68 405,2 mph was the race speed of Terry Sonday of Spring, Texas. The airline pilot took the seventh place with the #68 "Stress Relief" and became the red lantern...
#68 Terry Sonday rolls to the start. The taxiway to runway 08 leads past the Spotter-platform and is especially furnished for the press. This beautiful close-up is the result.
#7 Lee Behel is also a very eager Reno participant. Besides his L-39, in which he came in 5th this year, the Audi-Porsche dealer flies also with a Lancair in the Sport Class.
Pace Plane The pace-plane #3 "Capitalist Pig" is the only airplane that has a second man on board. This machine leads the pilots to the start and opens the race. The pilot is Jim O'Neal from Houston, Texas.
#2 John Penney is well-known to many readers as pilot of the Unlimited Gold racer and record winner "Rare Bear". John also flies the #2 in the Jet Class and reserved the first place with 454,2 mph.
#47 John Bagley is a big airplane-fanatic. Besides this L-39 entrepreneur from Rexburg, Idaho owns a P-63 Kingcobra and Bob Hoover's famous yellow mustang "Ole Yeller", in which he flies in the Unlimited Race.
#104 The second-placed Sal Rubino gave it all in a hard fight with John Penney. But John was around 6 mph faster.
you have a race The start took place and the jets dive into the race course, for John Penney with the #2 a start-to-finish victory.
#104 Sal Rubino on touch down. The young entrepreneur is probably one of the most active L-39 pilots in the USA. In addition Sal is the proud owner of the beautiful P-51D mustang "Grim Reaper".
race Similarly as in the T-6 class the jets are also as close as possible to the standard version. This frequently gives very exciting duels. Here Sal Rubino pursues John Penney, who is in the lead.
Beech Premier Yes, also in 2005 the jet Class was only for L-39's. This could however not prevent "Hoot" Gibson from flying around the race course with a Beech Premier. To the delight of the spectators, of course.
race In the foreground John Bagley with #47 closes in on Lee Behel with #7 and overtakes him a little later. John Bagley occupies the 4th place with 423,5 mph. Behind him Cliff Magee with the # 25.
Coming soon:    >>>Part 6
 

 

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