Do you remember?

[hattend]

Re: Do you remember?

How many on here saw Lyle Shelton race the Bearcat in person?

How many saw Tsunami race?

How many saw Bob Hoover start the Unlimited races?

How many remember when they only raced Friday, Saturday, and Sunday? Bonus as to ow many remember a time when they only ran three Unlimited races every year....Bronze Friday, Silver Saturday, and Gold Sunday?

How many saw the Red Baron race?

How many saw Conquest I race?

Saw Lyle race many times... have always been a fan, still am

Saw Tsunami race... beautiful plane

Saw Bob start the races, saw his Shrike demo, P-51 demo.

Saw Red Baron race

Saw Conquest 1 race...but on Wide World of Sports

Can't remember the race ladder...I'm sure I witnessed it. My first year there was 1971.

I saw Mr Mennan round the pylons but everything I have read says it never officially raced. Maybe I was dreaming?

Who remembers the ultralight races? As a hangglider pilot I was interested at first but, boy, was that boring!

Don Hatten
Go Bear!

[bajadreamers]

Re: Do you remember?

Except for Red Baron and Conquest - I can say yes to most all the rest including so much others added to this post -
Been attending every year since 1983 - Most Thankfully
OH YEAH
The history we have been lucky enough to witness - The Machines - The Pilots!!
Oh YEAH
The good friends seen each year both personal - and those friends in our hearts who give us their all!
Oh Yeah

The wonderment of all the folks I've met, shook hands with, have autographs from, some many years over. Order as found randomly in my books - only ones I could decipher - Does not count autographs on clothing and objects like P51-piston clock hehe
Mr R A "Bob" Hoover, Art Scholl, Buck Ridley, Deke Slayton, Jim Drisckell, Sandy Sanders, Hal Biestek, John Housley, Tom Dwelle, Wayne Handley, Tiger Destefani, Dwight Thorn, Bill Kerchenfaut, Clay Lacey, Lyle Shelton, Bob Love, Snow Birds, Jimmy Leeward, Ralf Rina, John Crocker, Lefty Gardner, Skip Holm, John Dilly, Al Goss, Stewart Dawson, Stu Eberhardt, Hoot Gibson, Mike Brown, Bobby Budde, Bob Heale, Bud Granley, Nick Macy, Keith McMann, Will Whiteside, Neil Andrew, Ron Hevle, Howard Pardue, Darryl Greenamyer, Bruce Lockwood, Bob Hannah, Brian Sanders, Moya Lear, Sharon Coats
OH YEAH there's a line up!

Ok I admit it I'm a air race / show Junkie. Just one trip was all it took!

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Do you remember?

I was completely taken with Lyle Shelton when I was a "kid" at the races, starting in 1979... The way he looked in that tannish/gold shiny flightsuit, heading to the flightline with all of what he was about to do in his mind, yet he literally "swiveled" as he walked, waving and smiling at the people around him. Lyle seemed connected to everyone around him that first day I saw in the pits at Reno Sunday. He had gave very genuine waves and smiles to everyone around him...

He really was quite a fellow!

I'm not really a "historian" I don't keep extremely close/accurate year to year finish records.. I don't even think Lyle raced during my first few years at RENO, but it didn't matter to me, the Air Races were the most amazing thing I'd ever experienced and I was hooked at first sight. Watching him compete with such grace and dignity, then later getting to meet and work with him... The man could be a royal PITA, but I don't think there's anyone around who does not miss him at Reno.

Go Bear... GO LYLE!!

[Warbird5]

Re: Do you remember?

Again I add my thanks to Jim for bringing back some of the memories of the "Big Show" as Bob Love used to call Reno.

Like most who have posted I go back quite awhile. I started coming in 1980 working with Bob Love flying Jack Hovey's P-51. Was fortunate to have worked on Somethin Else and known John Crocker. To have bruised a knuckle or two with Kerch, Mike Bogue, Ted Curiel, Wayne Cook, Mike Frank and Tom Camp. To have gotten stupid drunk at the Smoke Oil parties. Hollered at pictures of myself and the "crew" at Phil Wallack's Saturday evening ramp slide show. Marveled how Thorny could look so composed in those shorts while I was freezing my but off.

To have made an emergency landing five (5) miles short of Stead in Jim Ricketts' B-25J, and had all the help one could ask for from the then young Chino Kids. To have know Jerry Wilkins has been a true gift.

When I started going to Reno I didn't have grey hair, but I do now. I like some have missed a few, but not many, and wouldn't miss it for anything if I can help it.

Those of you that read this and have put off coming to Reno.....What are you waiting for????? Start your own memories.

Willie
Race 2 the Air Biscuit
Crew Dog

[V1670]

Re: Do you remember?

Howdy,

I'll throw a couple out there: Lefty in the T-bolt and "Oogahonk" Remember those?

What a great thread. First was '72 (Richard Laidley in Conquest 1 as Daryll had his licensed pulled) Mr. Mennan, Sandberg's P-63. Bubba's Buchon. Remember the "Super Gold"? What a yawn...3 planes with 15 seconds between them (Rare Bear kicked some serious....)

Really stoked up for '11....see y'all on the ramp.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Do you remember?

Hollered at pictures of myself and the "crew" at Phil Wallack's Saturday evening ramp slide show.

I MISS those shows. Remember when they were at the theater at the old MGM? They'd show all the slides and everyone was making cat-calls...and he'd have the Pennzoil films of the Mojave races, and "A Day at the Races" where the skydivers were racing to the backdrop of an announcer calling a horse race?

[Race5]

Re: Do you remember?

Have always said I will admit when I am wrong...and this is one of those times. From the horses mouth, "Lyle used nitrous oxide once...for no more than 5 seconds".

The 1989 championship race on about lap 4 when Tiger snuck up on the Bear and passed him between pylon 3 and 4. It caught Lyle off guard due to bad communication from the radio guy. "It startled Lyle and he overreacted and pushed the throttle all the way forward and turned on the nitrus at the same time". (it was a flip-handle, as opposed to a button)

Any of you who were there remember what happened next. I do. 77 shot back past Tiger so fast around pylon 5 that Dwight Thorn would say afterwards that "he didn't realize Lyle's bag of tricks was that deep...and that they were in trouble".

It surprised the guys on the Bear team too.

They had actually put 400 lbs of nitrus in the system, and for a couple years actually continued to do so...even though they never used it. But that didn't stop them from purging the system on the ramp after every race just to mess with the other racers and make them think about it. After the '91 race, the crew decided that as long as they were able to whomp the field without using it, there was no need to carry around that extra 400 lbs....or effectively "two extra guys along for the ride".

Interesting....was it ever re-installed at some point after that?

[Big_Jim]

Re: Do you remember?

Interesting....was it ever re-installed at some point after that?

To my knowledge...for the duration that Lyle owned it, no.

Can't say what has happened in the time since then.

[flyingjibus]

Re: Do you remember?

To my knowledge...for the duration that Lyle owned it, no.

Can't say what has happened in the time since then.

I'm pretty sure the system is still in place, they just were not filling the tanks.

[Race5]

Re: Do you remember?

To my knowledge...for the duration that Lyle owned it, no.

Can't say what has happened in the time since then.

Ok, actually the "incident" I had heard about was before '91 anyway. There was an interview on Youtube where John Penney was talking about racing the Bear in '86 when the nitrous failed to turn on down the chute and caused him to fly with a very aft CG for the entire race. (pushing stick forward in the turns it was so far aft) He made it sound like they had planned to flow it all the way through the race, so maybe it was an attempt to use it as an inter-cooler rather than just a power boost. Four hundred pounds across ten minutes isn't very much flow HP wise.

[BUD_XXX]

Re: Do you remember?

Remember "the Dawn Patrol"? ... we used to camp out at the fenceline, every morning at 0600 sharp, was it Skip or Tiger I think that used to buzz down the fenceline at about 25 foot above elevation at a good 400 mph, and give us all a little wakeup call...Oh yeah....!

Or anybody remember when they used that BD-25(?) as a Pace plane...Skip, would come striaght down the fence line from the north, and catch us all looking the other way....whoooosh.....got ya......

Anybody remeber the Killer Klown ice cream truck....or the "back stretch bum shirts...

[BellCobraIV]

Re: Do you remember?

I'm not really a "historian" I don't keep extremely close/accurate year to year finish records.. I don't even think Lyle raced during my first few years at RENO, but it didn't matter to me, the Air Races were the most amazing thing I'd ever experienced and I was hooked at first sight. Watching him compete with such grace and dignity, then later getting to meet and work with him... The man could be a royal PITA, but I don't think there's anyone around who does not miss him at Reno.

Wayne, Absolutely! Lyle was bigger than life from his beginnings in 1964 as a crew member/polisher for Clay Lacy, right up until the Bear was sold. As we have talked before, I understand your feeling as to Lyle being a "PITA", however Lyle was always a Benevolent Dictator to me and many of the Bear followers and ruffians. The crew was never supposed to be a democracy and he never ran it that way. People could serve on the team at Lyle's pleasure. He was his own person and he didn't answer to anyone.

The fans today are poorer for never having seen a pilot of the level of Lyle, Darryl Greenameyer, Bob Love, Tiger Destefani, and Skip Holm battle in competetive equipment never giving an inch in what wasn't just racing but truly battle. NONE of those guys ever gave an inch in battle or left an ounce of Horsepower unused.

They were magnificent warriors at their pylon racing best.
John

Go Witch, Go Stevo!

[BellCobraIV]

Re: Do you remember?

Ok, actually the "incident" I had heard about was before '91 anyway. There was an interview on Youtube where John Penney was talking about racing the Bear in '86 when the nitrous failed to turn on down the chute and caused him to fly with a very aft CG for the entire race. (pushing stick forward in the turns it was so far aft) He made it sound like they had planned to flow it all the way through the race, so maybe it was an attempt to use it as an inter-cooler rather than just a power boost. Four hundred pounds across ten minutes isn't very much flow HP wise.

That was not the plan, and there was different jetting available being able to be changed before the take off, and it was possible to adjust enrichment flow during the climb out to join up if necessary, however that was not ever done, but the capability was there.


If N2O ever choses to post regarding the Bear's Nitrous Oxide program, you can take that information to the bank. because he is the (As Dwight Thorn used to call him) "The King of Squeeze"
John

[V1670]

Re: Do you remember?

The fans today are poorer for never having seen a pilot of the level of Lyle, Darryl Greenameyer, Bob Love, Tiger Destefani, and Skip Holm battle in competetive equipment never giving an inch in what wasn't just racing but truly battle. NONE of those guys ever gave an inch in battle or left an ounce of Horsepower unused.

They were magnificent warriors at their pylon racing best.
John

Go Witch, Go Stevo!

Agree totally, however you left one name off the list: BIG Steve.
He's probably raced more different types and powerplants than anyone.
Red Baron, the Super Corsair, Tsunami...the man's the best pilot I've ever seen.

[GeeBeeZ1931]

Re: Do you remember?

Yes to the first 4. Every year since 87