Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 34

Old Guys Rule
The 52nd Annual Reno National
Championship Air Races and Air Show
Article and photos by Bert van Leeuwen

Vampire finished first with a speed of
502 mph, with L-39 Fast Company
close on its heels doing 501 mph.

Warbird versus Pure Racer.

"Smoke on" - Breitling demo team.

Rare Bear finishes second in the Unlimited category. Bear versus Voodoo.
34 The official publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading

I

It is not often in the world of fast motorsports that the winner's podium is dominated by over 55s. At 47, Al Unser was
the oldest driver to win the Indianapolis
500 race in 1987. Luigi Fagioli drove his
Alfa Romeo to victory in the 1951 French
Formula 1 Grand Prix at age 53. On two
wheels, the oldest rider to win a 500cc
Grand Prix race was Fergus Anderson, who
was 44 years old when he won the Spanish
Grand Prix in 1953 riding a Moto Guzzi. The
oldest NASCAR winner ... well, who cares.
The first, second and third on the podium
of the "Unlimited" category during the 2015
Reno Air Races beat all these other champions hands down. Not only in terms of absolute speed (488.983 mph), but also in terms
of age. Third on the podium, flying the
1957 built, re-engined Hawker Sea Fury T
Mk20, Dreadnought, was 56-year-old Dennis
Sanders from Lone, California. Second on
the podium, flying the always-popular
1940s-built Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, Rare
Bear, was Stewart Dawson, 61 years old,
of Celina, Texas. The champion, in many
respects, however, flying the 1945-built
North American P-51D Mustang, Strega,
was Robert "Hoot" Gibson at 69 years
old from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Gibson is
a graduate from the Navy Fighter Weapons
School, also known as Top Gun. He was
also a U.S. Naval Test Pilot but is probably
best known as an astronaut who flew five
Space Shuttle missions: STS-41-B in 1984,
STS-61-C in 1986, STS-27 in 1988, STS-47
in 1992 and STS-71 in 1995.
The Unlimited and Warbirds class is, without a doubt, the most popular of the Reno
races. This class can be split into (i) heavily
modified pure racers and (ii) warbirds that
come closer to the original aircraft designs.
In the category of pure racers, generally
capable of average speeds over 400 mph, we



Jetrader - Winter 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jetrader - Winter 2015

A Message from the President
Calendar/News
Q&A: John Grant, Senior Analyst, OAG
ISTAT Europe: A High-Flying Success
The ISTAT Quarterback
State of the Regions: Asia & Middle East
Old Guys Rule
ISTAT Foundation Sponsors Herb Kelleher Trophy
Trend Watching
Aviation History
Aircraft Appraisals
ISTAT Foundation
Advertiser.com
Advertiser Index
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - cover1
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - cover2
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 3
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 4
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 5
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 6
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - A Message from the President
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 8
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 9
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - Calendar/News
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 11
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - Q&A: John Grant, Senior Analyst, OAG
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 13
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 14
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 15
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - ISTAT Europe: A High-Flying Success
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 17
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 18
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 19
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 20
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 21
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 22
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 23
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 24
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 25
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 26
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 27
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - The ISTAT Quarterback
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 29
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 30
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 31
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - State of the Regions: Asia & Middle East
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 33
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - Old Guys Rule
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 35
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 36
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 37
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - ISTAT Foundation Sponsors Herb Kelleher Trophy
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 39
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - Trend Watching
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 41
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - Aviation History
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 43
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 44
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - Aircraft Appraisals
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 46
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - ISTAT Foundation
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 48
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - 49
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - Advertiser Index
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - cover3
Jetrader - Winter 2015 - cover4
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