2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

[retroaviation]

Just in case y'all are interested....

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=150908#150908

Gary Austin

[ebutner]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Thanks for sharing that... Great job! Next time you're landing in Bishop. give me a call. It would be cool to come out and meet you... I live there.

[sierra fox]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Thanks Gary for sharing!!! what a great insider view and the pics were funny too!!!

Anthony

[BuckyD]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

WOW! That was a truly rewarding read for me, and a fantastic first hand insider's shared experience. A superlative account and thank you so very much for your racing participation at Reno '07 and putting your wonderful experiences down for all of us to share. 'INSPIRATION' at it's finest! DBD

[r_willy]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Thanks so much for sharing the tale, Gary! For us Earthbound Misfits, it's a real treat to see aviation and air racing from that perspective!

And congrats on your award!!

[Jeff E]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Thanks for sharing part of your life..
What an incredible time. I love the part about Reno being tattooed in your mind.. Pretty amazing..

Cheers,

Jeff E

[number17fan]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Gary
Congratulation on rookie OTY!
Thanks for the story (not boring at all!!). I'm a big fan of straight wing cassutts as you might guess from my screen name. Taperwings might be faster but stubby little straight wing just looks right (old-school!) How many other 1958 designs can make your heart pound just watching it fly past!!!

[Stevo]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Gary,
Somehow I missed getting any pictures of you racing during the week... but I did get a few shots off from your departure on Monday. Hope to see you at Reno in 2008

[BatGurl]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Gary,
Great peice you wrote. and Congrats on Rookie of the year. Interesting to here your take on the little incident you had on the runway. Smokey told me his take on it, and I am now glad I heard your side too. I think it is so awesome your lived your dream.....next year I will be up there as a rookie myself racing in Bi-plane....hope to see you up there next year.

[FlyinLo]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Gary,
Great peice you wrote. and Congrats on Rookie of the year. Interesting to here your take on the little incident you had on the runway. Smokey told me his take on it, and I am now glad I heard your side too. I think it is so awesome your lived your dream.....next year I will be up there as a rookie myself racing in Bi-plane....hope to see you up there next year.

Cool another biplaner! What are you flying? Have you been to PRS already, or going in June 2008? The more the merrier!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Gary,

I've yet to completely download my cards.... Still winding down from the week (bet you are too!)

Here's a couple from the pylons..

I've got more, was shooting a new lens, took me a few days to get "into it".. later shots of You that I have, I think, are sharper..

Thanks for sharing!! Congrats on your week and ROY!!

Wayne

[wolfee]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Gary,

Your story is incredible! So much so I had to read it twice!
You had me in tears, and you had me in stitches.
Not everyone can live thier childhood dream, like you did. But reading your story will inspire those to try even harder to do so.
Congrats on the rookie of the year award. That should make being lapped worth it in the end.
I hope to see you in Reno next year, and I will make it a point to look you up.

Congrats again, and keep on living that dream!

Wolfee

[retroaviation]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Thanks to everyone for the kind words! There's no way I can accurately express how I really felt during that adventure, but that article was about as good as I could do. I'm glad y'all like it.

Gary

[ignomini]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

Great story. Thank you for posting.

[BatGurl]

Re: 2007 Reno Air Races...A Rookie's Adventure

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the warm Welcome.
I have not gone to PRS school yet, will go in next june. I am doing some aerobatics training with Dennis Brown (Biplane classs president), and he has mentioned doing some pylon/formation practice with me before PRS also, which I will most likely take him up on as I want to be ready for the race.
I am flying a Pitts S1-S, calle the "Bat From Hell." It Has the S1-11 style square/round wings, and is pushing 200+hp with a full lycon build up. in Aerobatic configuration (IE not cleaned up) it does about 180mph....so should be able to qualify and comepete.......assuming the pilot (me) actually flys it as it should be

I saw you at Reno, checked out your plane/s very thourougly for ideas, but did not introduce myself.

Look for me......I will be "The Other Woman" competitor next Year...hehehhe. (Hi Maralyn (sp?) if you see this!!)

take care