Some old Reno pics

[Big_Jim]

Mojave 1975 on the course with fin added. (David Esler photo)

Definitely the brutish-version of the RB.

[Jan]

Here's the second (Jim Larsen photo)

[Jan]

We now present two images with perspective... from Jim Larsen

[Jan]

Quite a difference in just over a few days -- Those guys must have been pretty frantic that week.

Esler was good -- actually a lot better than that ground shot shows. I think your Dad took me on at least partly because Dave left looking for somewhere where he could actually make some money. Air Race photography has never been lucrative.

And a very nice air to air -- Who was "Windsinger Photography"? An internet search turns up nothing.

Neal

Yes, Dave Esler was good. So was Steve Addis. I met them both but as a kid. Mom says they were both excellent. We have lots of stuff from both guys and so many others. The collection is pretty darn large. I'm not even scratching the surface of the surface with the few images I've posted in this thread.

To answer your question about Windsinger...

That was a gent named Gary Smith. He was from Logan, Utah and primarily did nature photography in the Sawtooth Wilderness Area, Canyonlands National Park, (what is now) the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the Cache-Wasatch National Forest. He also shot during his service in the Marines in Okinawa and Taiwan as well as some later portrait work. He was hired by the Red Baron Air Racing Team to do some professional photography for promotional materials. I don't know whether it was Dad who hired him but it could have been since he was handling PR for the team. Smith shot lots of stuff on the ground and in the air - stuff you haven't seen before. He had Windsinger Photography and Windsinger Enterprises as well as a book of the same name.

Now for a couple images from another great shooter... a Master air race photographer it can be said, long before his time surveying the showgirls of Reno with the ever-sarcastic Dwayne... That should tip you off to who it is.

[wingman]

Now Chris has me thinking about Lefty Gardner. Lefty was another of the good ones I actually met Lefty at my first Reno, in 1976. I was doing an early morning walkabout and there was guy pulling cowling panels off a pretty Mustang. I asked him a question and ended up having a very nice conversation. I didn't find out who I had been talking to for a couple of years.

Lefty flew low...

[wingman]

Nice shot Neal. Looks like White Lightning might have seen some actual lightning from that T-storm. Also looks like the airplane was getting a top-up with Quaker State.

You know, I remember it being Pennzoil, but this is definitely Quaker State. Whichever oil company it was, I remember trucks coming around dropping off cases of oil to the Unlimiteds.This was always appreciated by the teams. A nice little sponsorship that got noticed, without the company having to spend too much money.

Neal

[wingman]

The Red Baron a couple of years later.

[wingman]

Quite a difference in just over a few days -- Those guys must have been pretty frantic that week.

Esler was good -- actually a lot better than that ground shot shows. I think your Dad took me on at least partly because Dave left looking for somewhere where he could actually make some money. Air Race photography has never been lucrative.

And a very nice air to air -- Who was "Windsinger Photography"? An internet search turns up nothing.

Neal

[Jan]

RB-51 and Flying Undertaker in 1975 (Windsinger Photography photo)

[Jan]

Mojave 1975 on the course with fin added. (David Esler photo)

[Jan]

In action at Mojave 1975 - still clean for the moment, airframe-wise. (David Esler photo)

[Jan]

A brand new, clean RB-51 at Chino in 1975 (Steve Addis photo)

[Jan]

Nice shot Neal. Looks like White Lightning might have seen some actual lightning from that T-storm. Also looks like the airplane was getting a top-up with Quaker State.

[wingman]

Just a pretty picture...

I like bad weather for photography -- shadowless light, dramatic skies. This was Reno 1978, before Race 13 was White Lightning.

[stuntflyr]

I’m still jealous you got to ride with Lefty. Did you ever get that ride with Bob Hoover, I recall your mom was mad because we got dirty wiping the Bearcat off at Torrance that time!?
Chris…

Funny as a skinny 16 year old I fit just fine,