THANK YOU TO OUR 2021 DONORS 

THANK YOU TO OUR 2021 DONORS 

2021 was the year the STIHL National Championship Air Races returned after we all weathered some of the most challenging circumstances on record. Generous donations from our dedicated fans and supporters are a vital element of the Reno Air Racing Association’s success, and we want to give our most sincere thanks to everyone who made a gift to help us emerge from the Covid shutdown in 2020 and back into air racing in 2021! Your donations not only helped make the past year possible, but also gave us the resources and energy to begin an exciting journey as we launch our 2022 STIHL National Championship Air Races and our new “Racing for the Future” campaign.

Our vision is to establish the Reno Air Racing Association as the pinnacle of inspiration, education, and exhilaration for people of all ages. Our success with our STEM education programming has now led to our first flight training scholarships and we have even more programs coming to life in the near future. We hope you will join us as we accelerate into this new chapter in our evolution.

Air racing is our passion, and we are using the excitement, history, and pageantry of our beloved sport to inspire the next generation of aviators, fans, and stakeholders. Your contributions are an important factor in making this possible, and we’d like to extend our deepest heartfelt gratitude to those who gave this past year.

$200,000

Fred and Barbara Clark-Telling

$50,000 & Up

Anonymous
William Freeman
Mercer-Fraser Company
The Ray Foundation
Seymour Robin

$20,000 – $35,000

Fay Gregory
Joan And Herb Kelleher Charitable Foundation

$5,000 – $10,000

Ronald Bath
Dennis And Tami Buehn
Clay Lacy
Finnegan Aviation Services, LLC
Donald Jensen
Shahin Mehrabanzad
Nevada Tri Partners, LLC
Joel Stinnett

$1,000 – $2500

Lisa Aguirre Simcoe
Thomas Bradley
Enterprise Holding Foundation
Curtis Johnson
John Krawczyk
Larry Labriola Foundation
Tony & Deanna Logoteta
James Macdougall
Frank & Carroll Marguire
Jerry Mowbray
Gil Shoham
Kent Snider
Roberta Thompson
Chuck Trousdale
Richard Wenzel
Abel Wilson

$101 – $500

Benevity Community Impact Fund
Aeroadvisors Inc.
Anonymous x 5
Roberta Bell
Charles Bowyer
Dennis P. Bryan
Kerry Chapman
Chevron Employee Match
Leon Corley
Lud Corrao
Stanley Crosswhite
Sid Dodd
Galen Gault
Jack Harrington
James Harris
Mike Henniger
Conrad Huffstutler
Cynthia Mcdonald
Dana Munkelt
Mr. & Mrs. Newlin
Don Permoda
Gregory Powell
Mike Qutermous
Betty Sherman
James A. Thornton

$51 – $100

Anonymous x 16
Antelope Valley 99’S
John Babbidge
Evan Bender
Eric Bocanegra
Jonathan Chan
James Dunn
Charles Flint
Dave Franks
Michael Frederick
Graeme Frew
Rande Gallant
Brian Garrett
Ron Gerber
Craig Gill
Marc Grundfor
Tanya Ice
John Jacks
Jim Jensen
Jerome Jessop
Chris Leeper
Roger Lemmel
Mark A. Magin
Walter Manning
Scott Mccue
Patricia Mcgovern
Todd Mcmaster
Maralyn Mencarini
James Messinger
Kyle Peirson
B Pratt
Richard Reinhardt
Edward Rij
Randolph Royce
C A Rumple
William Ryan
Bob Ryker
John Sewell
Lynn Shawback
Gregg Springer
David Tansley
Lauriston Taylor
The Mary P Hicks Trust
John Vargas
Paul Wells
Martin Wermes
Brian White

Up to $50

Applied Materials Foundation & Employees
Douglas Archdeacon
Joshua Awosoga
Todd Becker
Luke Bednarek
Nathan Biasotti
Chase Birks
Chris Bosco
Carl Bovee
John Bratcher
John Briscoe
Joseph Burkhart
Max Carley
Jeffrey Cohn
Jarathan Cook
Chris Cosfol
Anthony Cox
Jacob Crisler
Michael Darko
Austin Dyer
Ryan Eckstein
Steven Edmundson
Michael Evanger
Andrew Fearn
Allan Fisher
Mason Forkey
Trisha Gereaux
Jonathan & Stephanie Gilstrom
Josh Goulart
Brian Grant
Stu Greene
Cameron Gross
Alex Hair
Noah Hanifen
Kathy Harnack
Steven Hartness
Kenneth Herndon
Andreas Heyen
Anthony Hitchings
Oran Hollingsworth
Roger Howard
Marisa Irwin
Ronald Jermstad Jr
Stuart Katzen
Keaton Keene
Vernon Keener
Brian Kohl
Ron Kopa
Joseph Langlois
Matthew Lawless
Nancy Leases
Satn Luke
Richard May
Stu Mayerson
Peter Mccombs
Jeremiah Melin
Chris Menno
David Minnis
Matthew Molsen
Robert Montgomery
Kirby Moughon
Dana Nolan
Per Nordstram
Zak Nyberg
Sam Osman
Philip Perez
Jay Pitts
Tim Porter
Jayce Poshek
Ray Rasmussen
Clayton Relf
Roslynn Ricard
Shawn Robbins
Bryan Rohr
Michael Ryan
Dean Severns
Trish Sherman
Steven Shivers
Tyler Snyder
Anthony Sprayberry
Jonathan Stackhouse
Chris Stieber
Kent Stokes
Sara Stout
Gretchen Straatsma
Dan Stratton
Corey Sullivan
Masashi Tahara
Travis Thompson
Kevin Thompson
Eric Titus
Emanuele Tosoni
Jeffrey Tunison
Rachel Twine
John Weaver
David Wright
Jonathan Zaritz

Making it look easy: Eric Zine’s great strides

Making it look easy: Eric Zine’s great strides

For someone who took his first flying lesson just 11 years ago, Eric Zine has come far in the aviation world in a short time. The “Yellow Fever” biplane pilot and Southern California resident is fresh off another year of racing at the STIHL National Championship Air Races where he took fifth place in Friday’s Heat 3A before Sunday’s Gold race was canceled due to high winds.

One Six Right

Still, the future is looking bright for Zine, who literally discovered flying by Googling “learn to fly.” After a quick Internet search, lo and behold, his local airport turned out to be none other than the world-famous Van Nuys Airport in Southern California. Known as the setting for the final scene of the 1942 Humphrey Bogart classic “Casablanca,” Van Nuys is perhaps best known as the subject of the 2005 aviation documentary “One Six Right,” which explores the storied history and busy present of the San Fernando-based airport and its most famous runway. 

Eric Zine

In fact, if you’ve seen the movie and its poster, you’ll instantly recognize the yellow 1945 Piper J3C-65 fixed wing Cub as being prominently featured throughout the film. It just so happens that Zine flies that Cub regularly, with owner Seymour “Si” Robin serving as a major supporter of Zine and the Condor Squadron air association of which he’s a part. 

But back to how it all began for Zine. Just out of grad school in Beijing, he returned to Los Angeles and took a flying lesson “on a whim.” From there, he says he quickly caught the bug and could think of nothing but flying. 

“I’m very glad it worked out as it did, because it was precisely the VNY connection that got me involved in air racing,” Zine says. “There’s a great history of air racing here, with names like Clay Lacy, Lyle Shelton, Skip Holmes, Pete Regina, Matt Jackson.”

Zine says he met his aviation partner, Rich Chadwick, through the Van Nuys Flight Center while he was serving as a full-time Certified Flight Instructor. In 2010, the two acquired their first race plane, “Sunny Side Up,” a biplane that he raced from 2010 to 2016 before acquiring “Yellow Fever,” a Pitts Special. During those formative racing years, Zine had a hangar next to another former racer, Jason Somes, who he calls a “great source of inspiration, mentorship and knowledge to work with.”

Starting in 2017, Zine raced “Yellow Fever” which racing fans may recognize as the former “Devil in Da Skies” helmed by Jeff Watkins, who was also a former Biplane Class President. 

“We’ve done quite a bit of modification since then, but we know Jeff is happy to see his old bird still racing,” Zine says. 

He got into biplanes because, he says, “we were trying to find an accessible way to enter into the mix. We were contemplating an IF1 racer that was for sale, but thought a biplane would be much better as we could fly our Pitts year round.”

There are several misconceptions about biplanes, Zine says, but none bigger than the myth that they’re difficult to fly. 

“They are very honest airplanes, so they do require some instruction, technique, and practice. But countless pilots have done it, and so can you.”

Reno memories

With nearly a decade of racing at Stead under his belt, Zine says there are too many wonderful things about participating in NCAR to count. 

“The camaraderie with the men and women in our class, the interactions with the fans, and the friendships with the volunteers who come back every year are all great,” he says. 

He’s recently moved into a teaching role as a Pylon Racing Seminar instructor, something he’s found very rewarding. But, it’s the on-course action that gets his blood pumping the hardest. 

“Certainly, my favorite part is going around the pylons,” Zine says. “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in an airplane and being on the course low and fast with planes all around you is almost meditative, as it really does drown out the rest of the world as you focus on the task at hand.” 

As with most pilots, his least favorite part is the early-morning wake-ups required of all racers. 

Next year promises to bring even more excitement as Zine plans to race both a biplane and a T6. It’s sure to be double the work — and the fun — for this young Southern California pilot. Here at the Reno Air Racing Association, we’re counting down the days until September 16, 2020 when once again high flying action will rule the day and young pilots will realize they, like Zine, can race at Reno, too.

Grant Korgan Shares U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Flight Experience

Grant Korgan is a world-class adventurer, nano-mechanics professional, and husband. On March 5, 2010, while filming a snowmobiling segment in the Sierra Nevada backcountry, the Lake Tahoe native burst-fractured his L1 vertebrae, and suddenly added the world of spinal cord injury recovery to his list of pursuits.

Doctors told him he wouldn’t walk again. But he and his wife of four months, Shawna, didn’t accept that. That had hope and they made a plan. Within five months his injury, he was standing with the help of leg braces.

On June 12, 2019, Grant achieved a lifelong dream and became a licensed pilot. He continues to live an unlimited life traveling around the globe spreading a message of positivity and hope. 

Korgan was nominated for the Thunderbirds Hometown Hero Flight during the 56th annual STIHL National Championship Air Races. On September 13, 2019, Korgan lived out his childhood dream of flying with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

Donate now to help inspire future pilots like Grant Korgan.

Catching up with Kevin Quinn after a Successful 2019

Catching up with Kevin Quinn after a Successful 2019

Kevin Quinn is a very busy man these days. Part bush pilot, part heli-ski guide, part flight instructor and part event organizer, this Truckee, Calif.-based aviation nut is wrapping up one of his busiest — and most successful — years ever. Despite all this, he still has time to extol the virtues of general aviation to aspiring pilots everywhere. And that’s thanks in part to his participation in the 2019 STIHL National Championship Air Races.

His message to young pilots is simple. 

“Anyone can come out and fly with us and learn in the off-airport environment,” Quinn says of his Truckee-based High Sierra Flight Instruction business which specializes in backcountry flight training. “The neat thing about it is that we’re inspiring people to just go out and fly. For a long time, they said aviation was dying on the vine, but I believe backcountry flying is saving general aviation.” 

stol racing

Born and raised in Alaska, Quinn, who just turned 50, knows a thing or two about the backcountry. He grew up riding in his father’s plane from the time he was six months old. By the time he was 18, he soloed and obtained his pilot’s license. For the past 32 years, Quinn has spent more than 9,000 hours in the air and he’s never shied away from adventure. 

Over the decades, Quinn has taught up-and-coming pilots how to fly all while running Points North Heli-Adventures, Inc. a heli-skiing operation out of Cordova, Alaska, where he spends part of the year personally guiding clients through some of the toughest, most pristine ski country in North America. In that time, he’s made numerous appearances in Warren Miller ski films, has been certified as a skydiver and swift water rescuer, flown choppers, lead whitewater tours and even played professional hockey for a couple of years in the early 1990s. It all sounds exhausting to the everyday human being, but there’s nothing ordinary about Quinn, whose passion for life is evident in the way he engages you when he speaks. Being so busy doesn’t bother him a bit, either, but keeping track of it all can be a challenge, he says. 

“Depending on who I’m talking to, I might hand them one of several different business cards,” Quinn says, chuckling. 

STOL takes off

Oh yeah, and if that’s not enough, Quinn is also the guy who invented STOL (Short Take-off and Landing) drag racing, a sport that has quickly entered the conscience of aviation fans everywhere. This is thanks to his affiliation with the Flying Cowboys, a loose collective of pilots who enjoy low-flying adventures in the backcountry, where two bush planes race each other up and down a dirt strip. Born at the annual High Sierra Fly-In north of Reno in the Black Rock Desert, STOL drag racing saw a banner year in 2019 as it was invited to perform demo races at the Reno Air Races. The event was so successful that RARA invited STOL Drag back for 2020 as an official class, the first new addition in more than two decades. 

According to Quinn, the FAA particularly likes the safety aspects of STOL racing. 

“With this type of flying, we’re challenging pilots to become better by teaching them about power and energy management and control. Ultimately, that makes you a safer pilot,” he says. 

For Quinn, the appeal of STOL flying is the sheer affordability of the sport. It’s great to watch warbirds soar through the sky over Stead, he says, but often the financial barrier to entry for this type of racing is prohibitively high. 

“With STOL, anyone can go buy a street plane and mod it and come out to race,” he says. 

As for his ride, Quinn flies a Carbon Cub that he helped design at the Cub Crafters factory in Yakima, Washington. It features 35-inch bush wheels and weighs in at 1,000 pounds. When he’s not flying it, he can be found in his classic 1953 Cessna 180. 

Looking ahead

Dividing his time between Alaska, Hawaii and California, Quinn considers the heli-skiing gig his “main hustle.” But STOL drag racing’s success in 2019 is broadening his horizons even further. These days, his goal is to keep backcountry flying affordable and accessible. As the sport grows, he’s interested in helping raise money to support up-and-coming STOL pilots. 

“We’re now the poster children for backcountry aviation,” he says of the Flying Cowboys. “On social media, we have more than 20 million followers and we’re inspiring people that there’s much more to flying than just going from one airport to the next. 

In fact, Quinn has recently accepted invitations to the 2020 Sun ‘n Fun airshow in Lakeland, Fla. and Arizona’s CopperState Fly-In in February. Additionally, Quinn will be returning to Oshkosh next year along with a much-anticipated first “official” year at Reno. All that travel isn’t cheap, Quinn says, so he’s hoping to leverage this newly-found spotlight to sponsor young pilots.  

For the time being, Quinn is just happy to see his sport hit the big time. 

“Everything is coming full circle,” he says. “Sometimes I think, ‘are you kidding me?’ Pinch me. This is so incredible.”

Learn more about Kevin Quinn at these sites: 

Flight training: www.bigtirepilot.com
Heli-Skiing: www.alaskaheliski.com
High Sierra Fly-In: www.highsierraflyin.com
STOL racing: www.stoldrag.com

STOL Drag Racing Added as New Racing Class for 2020 Event

STOL Drag Racing Added as New Racing Class for 2020 Event

From the heart-pounding excitement of head-to-head racing to the world-renowned U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds to the amazing on-the-ground demonstrations, the 2019 STIHL National Championship Air Races proved to be another successful year for the world’s fastest motorsport. 

One of the highlights of the world-class event was the debut of the STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) drag racing demonstrations. The new event was well-received by the crowds in the grandstands as they watched the two planes battle it out in each heat. Based on the positive response, STOL will be officially added as a new class at the 2020 STIHL National Championship Air Races, making it the first new race class to in approximately 20 years. 

For those who couldn’t experience the STOL Drag Racing first-hand, here is a short history. STOL planes came to be because of a necessity to take off from shortened runways that included hard conditions like ice or hail. These piston-engined aircraft generally hold one – maybe two – passengers and feature low max gross weights. Used to bring medical services and supplies to remote areas, STOL planes have become common in places like the Australian outback, Africa and other hard-to-reach places. With the ability to take off quickly and maneuver beyond obstacles like hills, mountains and trees, these planes have become highly sought after by enthusiasts around the world. 

Now, thanks to STOL Drag Racing founder and STOL Class President, Kevin Quinn, these aircraft are being used in an exciting new sport. The rules are simple. The two aircraft fly side-by-side as fast as they can down a 2,000-foot straightaway, land on or after marker and must come to acomplete stop on heading before turning around. They turn around fly back down the track and must land on or after the marker and come to a complete stop on heading at the start/finish line. The first pilot that comes to a complete stop wins the heat. Racers who don’t come to a complete stop with the tail down before they make the 180-degree turn, while staying within 10° of heading are disqualified. Further, race pilots who touchdown or land before the marker on either the turnaround or finish are disqualified.

Needless to say, it’s not about altitude or even graceful maneuvers. It all comes down to pure speed. The race pilot must be an expert at both gaining speed and dropping speed as quickly as possible. Since the sport is new, the Reno Air Racing Association has limited next year’s competitors to highly experienced invitees only. STOL pilots interested in racing in the 2020 STIHL National Championship Air Races are required to compete at the High Sierra Fly-In in October. For more information, visit www.highsierraflyin.com.

Thunderbirds Make Triumphant Return to Reno

Thunderbirds Make Triumphant Return to Reno

If it feels like a while since the United States Air Force Thunderbirds have soared high above Reno, it’s not just your imagination. After an absence of almost a decade, this famed precision drill team is slated to return for a pair of shows during the 56th annual STIHL National Championship Air Races to the delight of fans of all ages.

Featuring eight pilots and a staggering 130 support personnel, the Las Vegas-based Thunderbirds will take to their F-16 Fighting Falcons to perform impressive formation flying, daring solo routines and a display of capabilities that push the limits of both plane and pilot at every turn. Fans hoping to get a glimpse of the Thunderbirds’ signature move, the four-jet diamond formation, won’t be disappointed. They’ll also be treated to 40 other crowd-pleasing maneuvers that have made this team a household name.

History of the Thunderbirds

us thunderbirds

First formed in 1953 as part of the then-nascent United States Air Force, the first Thunderbirds team was originally based at Arizona’s Luke AFB. The team’s inception coincided with the rise of air shows in the States, most notably the National Air Races in Cleveland. By then, post-war America had developed a real taste for high-flying action and patriotic displays, especially as the Korean War was winding down.

In the beginning, the team flew Republic F-84G Thunderjets, Cold War-era turbojets with in-flight refueling capabilities and room for a nuclear payload. Although striking to look at, these aircraft topped out at 600 mph, and therefore fell just shy of being able to break the sound barrier. The Thunderbirds then traded up to F-84F Thunderstreaks in 1955. While the naming convention is similar to that of the F-84G, the Thunderstreak featured swept wings and spoilers for enhanced performance. It wasn’t long, however, that the team moved to the supersonic North American F-100C Super Sabre jet, allowing its pilots to rattle the nerves of glass factory owners everywhere. This upgrade in 1956 also coincided with the team’s move to Nellis AFB, just northwest of Las Vegas. By 1962, the team settled into the General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon with the striking red, white and blue paint scheme for which it’s known today.

By 1997, the team celebrated its 50th anniversary having performed countless demonstrations for millions of air show attendees over the years. The striking image of the team’s diamond formation against a crystal blue sky graced a U.S. postal stamp that same year. From 2007 to 2009 the Thunderbirds performed air shows in multiple countries and states during their many tours including Bulgaria, Ireland, Japan, France, Italy, Thailand, Hawaii, Romania, Poland, Australia and Puerto Rico. Its most recent performance at Reno was in 2008.

Needless to say, air racing fans and organizers are excited about the return of an American icon to Reno Stead Airport.

“They put on a spectacular show, displaying incredible flying skills and showcasing some of the most advanced fighters of our time,” said Tony Logoteta, Reno Air Racing Association chief operating officer. “It’s a thrill to see them in action and a privilege to be able to recognize the airmen and women who serve our country.”

The Pilots

This year’s Thunderbirds team represents a variety of diverse backgrounds including a figure skater, a college baseball player and a Medford, Oregon, native who is only the second solo female pilot in the team’s history.

As the commander and leader, Lt. Colonel John Caldwell oversees the crew while commanding the entire 130-person operation. Major Will Graeff and Captain Michael Brewer serve as the left and right-wing pilots. Major Whit Collins, who was the former president of his high school’s aviation program, serves in the slot pilot position. Going into his second and her first season with the team, Major Matt Kimmel and Captain Michelle Curran are lead solo pilot and opposing solo pilot, respectively. All the way from Saginaw, Michigan, Lt. Colonel Eric Gorney acts as the Operations Officer for the team, overseeing logistics. Arizona State University graduate Major Jason Markzon holds the position of Advance Pilot and narrator.

Performances are set for 2:50 p.m. Saturday and 2:35 p.m. Sunday, with a practice run on Friday afternoon. As always, schedules are subject to change based on weather and other factors.