Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 44
A P-51 formerly flown by a
Tuskegee Airman.
Voodoo in its 2017 "ghost white" farewell livery.
Last year's "Voodoo" in its once-familiar purple and green.
Sabotage? A little "strega" hiding under
Voodoo's wing.
A typical warbird, the Argonaut takes off for another race.
Bill "Tiger" Destefani debriefing his winning pilot.
Recapping the 54th National Championship Air Races
in Reno, and examining the event's rich history and
its connection to ISTAT
T
Words and Photos by Bert van Leeuwen, Managing Director, DVB Bank SE
There was magic in the air over Stead Airfield
near Reno, Nevada from 12-17 September.
A good number of ISTAT members made
the annual pilgrimage to the otherwise
nondescript Reno Stead Airport - located
just north of what is known as "The Biggest
Little City in the World." Apart from playing
some golf or a few hands of poker, many
came to witness what may have been the
best air race in history. On the downside,
it may also turn out to have been the
final battle between the last two remaining giants of Unlimited Air Racing: Strega
and Voodoo.
Strega (Italian for "witch") and Voodoo
are both highly modified Mustangs. Voodoo,
a P-51D-25-NA (original s/n 44-73415), was
built in 1944 by North American Aviation
at Inglewood, California, for the U.S.
Army. Strega, a P-51D-20-NT (original s/n
44-13105), was built in 1945 for the Royal
Australian Air Force (A68-679). Both planes
were sold several times but eventually ended
up in the hands of air race enthusiasts.
The Backstory
Voodoo's race history began in 1980
when the aircraft was sold to William A.
Speer, of La Mesa, California. In 1988, it
made its first restored flight as a racer
using the name "Pegasus." The plane was
sold at an auction in December 1994 to
Bob Button of Button Transportation Inc.,
Wellington, Nevada. He renamed it "Voodoo
44 The official publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading
Chile" and raced it in the 1998 National
Championship Air Races in Reno. In 2013 -
its name shortened to "Voodoo" - it was
raced in Reno by Steven "Steve-O" Hinton,
Jr., winning the Unlimited Gold Trophy,
and reaching speeds of more than 500 mph
(800 km/h). In 2014 and 2016, Hinton and
Voodoo would celebrate two more victories.
Strega raced for the first time in 1983,
piloted by its current owner Bill "Tiger"
Destefani from Bakersfield, California. In
1997 the plane won the Unlimited Gold
Race in Reno for the first time. After a
few problematic years during which the
race was won by the - still-popular -
purple Bearcat #77 Rare Bear, Strega made
a comeback and won the 1992, 1993, 1995,
Jetrader - Winter 2017
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jetrader - Winter 2017
A Message from the President
Calendar/News
Q&A: József Váradi, CEO, Wizz Air
Looking Up
On the Horizon: ISTAT’s 2018 Events
Announcing: ISTAT Aviation Insights
Test in the West
Q&A: David Swan, COO, SMBC Aviation Capital
ISTAT Value Definitions
Witchcraft vs. Voodoo Power
From the ISTAT Photo Archives
Aviation History
Aircraft Appraisals
ISTAT Foundation
Advertiser Index
Advertiser.com
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Intro
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - cover1
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - cover2
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 3
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 4
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - A Message from the President
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 6
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 7
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Calendar/News
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 9
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Q&A: József Váradi, CEO, Wizz Air
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 11
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 12
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 13
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Looking Up
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 15
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 16
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 17
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 18
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 19
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 20
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 21
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 22
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 23
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 24
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - On the Horizon: ISTAT’s 2018 Events
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 26
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 27
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Announcing: ISTAT Aviation Insights
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 29
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 30
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 31
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Test in the West
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 33
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 34
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 35
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Q&A: David Swan, COO, SMBC Aviation Capital
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 37
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 38
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 39
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - ISTAT Value Definitions
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 41
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 42
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 43
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Witchcraft vs. Voodoo Power
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 45
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 46
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - From the ISTAT Photo Archives
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Aviation History
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 49
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 50
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Aircraft Appraisals
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 52
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 53
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 54
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - ISTAT Foundation
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 56
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Advertiser Index
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - Advertiser.com
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - cover3
Jetrader - Winter 2017 - cover4
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