Unlimited Class

The Unlimited Class is open to any piston-driven aircraft with an empty weight greater than 4500 pounds [the weight restriction was added in 2005]. Aside from a very few "scratch-built" aircraft, the Unlimited Class has generally been populated by stock or modified WWII fighters, the most-often-flown types including the P-51 Mustang, F-8F Bearcat, and Hawker Sea Fury. Aircraft speeds in the Unlimited Class reach 500 mph.

Unlimited Class aircraft race on an ovoid course whose narrower end is North [click on small diagram at right below for a larger version]. They generally take off about ten to fifteen minutes before the race start, and follow the Pace Jet, a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star flown by Steve Hinton, which flies in a sweeping left turn towards Peavine, the large mountain south of Reno Stead Field. Over Peavine heading roughly eastbound, the aircraft assemble in a line-abreast formation to the right of the Pace Jet, as it makes its final left turn northward towards "the chute", an imaginary path onto the Race Course [gray shaded area on diagram]. After the final turn, the formation begins to descend as the Pace Pilot advises the racers to adjust their positions to maintain a straight line abreast.

Unlimited Class Race Course diagram: click on the image above to open a larger version in a new window.

Once Hinton is comfortable that the formation is in a good position to start, he makes the call, "Gentlemen, you have a race!" and pulls the pace aircarft into a climbing left turn, separating from the formation. For the remainder of the race, Hinton circles well above the racers unless needed to assist if trouble arises.

As the racing aircraft continue down the chute, they keep the Start Pylon [located between Pylons 3 and 4] to their left, and the east deadline to their right. Reaching the Start Pylon, the aircraft turn left onto the Race Course heading northwest. They continue to fly the course in a counter-clockwise direction, always making left turns around the pylons, keeping to the outside lest they be penalized for a pylon cut, and remaining above the height of the pylons lest they be penalized for low flying.

Having made the number of laps required to complete the race, at the finish line which runs from the Home Pylon due south towards the grandstands, the aircraft generally zoom climb, trading off airspeed for altitude and putting them into a comfortable position to cool down and set up for landing.

A typical Unlimited Class race typically takes from seven to nine minutes depending on the number of laps in the race and the speed of the aircraft.

registered aircraft 2008: Unlimited Class

Note: the appearance of a pilot or aircraft in this list indicates that the pilot and aircraft have registered for the National Championship Air Races & Air Show. It is not a guarantee that the pilot or aircraft will actually appear, qualify, or compete. This list will be updated as additional registration information becomes available.

Number of registrants: 28

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