The airport, which has been around since the 1950s, was purchased in 1991 by Allen Chorman. His plan from the outset was to use the airfield as base of operations for Chorman Spraying, formerly known as Allen Chorman & Son. 

“When I was 12 years old, my dad and I rode over here on a Sunday. I remember like it happened right now,” Jeff Chorman said. “He was like, ‘Maybe we could rent the airport from John [Mervine],’ who was a real big name in Delaware at the time. My dad ended up buying the airport from John and since then we’ve built the airport up and widened the runway from 37 feet wide to 51 feet wide.”

• READ MORE: Flight Training in the Scenic, Wild Last Frontier

From mid-March to mid-November, this 3,585-foot-long paved runway is abuzz with activity from sunup to sundown. Chorman Spraying employs nine pilots and has a fleet of aircraft that consists of Air Tractors, Ag Cats, Thrushes, and Bell Jet Rangers. 

“We are probably one of the largest agricultural operators on the East Coast, as far as agricultural work, and cover the eastern shore of Delaware and Maryland,” Chorman said. “We have gone from running two airplanes to running seven all the time. And we have gone from radial engines to turbines, although [we] still spray mosquitoes with Twin Beeches and are thinking about getting into the drone world.” 

The operation is an integral partner to farmers within roughly a 50 nm radius of D74. Typical crops in the region that the company tends to are wheat, barley, pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupes, peas, sweet corn, and other vegetables, in addition to a strong emphasis in the fall on cover crop seeding.

Aerial services are provided from 10 main airfields and five satellite airfields, from Chestertown to Snow Hill. But most ag aviation flights originate from Chorman Airport, which is a competitive advantage for the operation.

• READ MORE: New GA Airport Near Las Vegas Has Its Eye on Space

“Having your own airport [as an ag operator] is almost a must. It’s all about control,” Chorman said. “Even though it’s a public airport, we still control the people who are here. [By having our own airport] we control the activity during the busy times and also the overall ramp operations and security here.”

Efficiency and safety on the field is balanced with national security precautions in the area. Chorman reported that there is frequently a presidential TFR active near the airport, due to President Joe Biden’s home in Rehoboth Beach being only 26 nm away. 

“Right now, if you look at Delaware in ForeFlight, the whole state is yellow,” he said. “I was the first one in agricultural aviation history last year to get permission to conduct ag operations inside the TFR’s inner ring during Biden’s 10-day visit last year. The Secret Service understands [the need for our operation to continue helping farmers] and has been great to work with.” 

Chorman’s longtime interest in military aviation led him to acquire a handful of vintage aircraft. His Stearman biplane, T-6, and T-28 can be seen by airport visitors this fall during a highly anticipated fly-in event at Chorman Airport.

• READ MORE: Utah Bluff of Juniper and Sagebrush Turned Into Backcountry Destination

“We are planning our second annual fly-in for October 26, weather and TFR permitting,” he said. “We will have a cookout with hamburgers and hot dogs. Last year we had 65 airplanes fly in, and you couldn’t have ordered better weather. We are hoping for a good turnout again this year”

The airport welcomes transient traffic, although fuel is only available to based aircraft. There are roughly four dozen aircraft presently kept on the field. 

Chorman is encouraged about the future of the airfield and that it will continue being a central asset in the operation of his business and an attractive option for local pilots to base their aircraft.  

“In 2018, we repaved the runway because it was in very bad shape with no base underneath at all. We didn’t have any state or federal funding for that project,” Chorman said. “The airport will continue to grow as the need develops. I can see two more hangars here with eight units each for rental airplane storage, as well as an [automated weather observing system] AWOS. I would also like to have a GPS approach here, since we are strictly VFR now with pilot-controlled lighting. We are just starting to work on getting that done and the Delaware Aviation Council is helping.”

The post Delaware Ag Airport Sets Eyes on Growing GA Future appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

We start with the sad, as I wrote several stories about aircraft accidents this year. Often, my airport children (pilots I have trained or mentored) reach out to me when something happens, but we wait to publish anything on these until the NTSB releases its preliminary report. I often interview witnesses, but there will be no speculation. This is a rule.

I approach all of these stories wearing my flight instructor cap. I submit there has to be something to learn from the misfortune of others. This year, I wrote a lot about midair accidents. 

I had several friends at Reno this year, watching the last Reno Air Races. A few of them are lifers, going to the event every year since they were children. Some work in the pits. A few witnessed the collision of the T-6s Baron’s Revenge and Six Cat. Others witnessed the aftermath. One told me how he struggled to explain what had happened to his kids. I think we can all agree it was a horrible way to end the air races at Reno.

Florida Midair

At approximately 2 p.m. on March 7, 2023, there was the collision of a Piper Cherokee and a Piper J-3 Cub on floats at Winter Haven Regional Airport (KGIF) in Florida, that killed four people: two CFIs and two learners. Both were in their respective patterns—the pilot of the Cherokee was attempting a poweroff 180-degree landing to Runway 29, and the Cub was attempting to land at Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base (F57).

20-plus years of experience as a CFI has given me a very healthy respect for see-and-avoid, and expect the unexpected—especially in the pattern, that is so often crowded with pilots of varying abilities. This one was my worst nightmare, especially when I learned the pilot of the Cherokee was a commercial student attending the aviation program at Polk State College. I know people who teach there.

The pilot of the Piper J-3 Cub on floats was also on an instructional flight. As the preliminary NTSB report noted, the J-3 was not equipped with a radio, and radio communications were not required in that airspace, which is Class Echo. The NTSB noted the pilot of the Cherokee announced a left turn to the base leg of the traffic pattern; then the aircraft collided nearly head-on at an altitude of approximately 575 feet msl. The NTSB is still investigating.

Airshow Collision Lawsuit

The November 12, 2022 midair collision of the B-17 Texas Raiders and the P-63 Kingcobra that took the lives of six during the Wings Over Dallas Airshow came back in 2023 when a lawsuit was filed against the Commemorative Air Force, the organizers of the show, on behalf of the family of Len Root, the B-17 pilot. The lawsuit was filed on the grounds of alleged negligence because, according to the NTSB, no altitude deconfliction procedures were briefed before the flight or applied when the airplanes were in the air. 

The lawsuit also names air boss Russell Royce as a defendant for alleged failure to maintain control of the flight paths of the aircraft involved. Altitude deconfliction procedures are established in the event pilots find themselves at an improper altitude during the flight. Several photographs and videos of the event from multiple angles show the P-63 in a turn, coming up behind the B-17 turning with its belly facing the bomber, then colliding with it, slicing the bigger aircraft in half.

McSpadden Accident

When I write about accidents, it involves studying the airport diagrams and the NTSB preliminary report, often recreating the environment that led to the event in an Redbird FMX AATD. It is my attempt to understand what happened, as written in the preliminary report.

When I wrote about one in Florida that was attributed to spatial disorientation caused by a blackhole departure, I duct-taped a black curtain over the entry to the cab of the FMX. I needed a zero-light situation to see what the pilot saw.

I shared this with Richard McSpadden Jr., who was AOPA’s vice president of safety, and often studied and commented on accidents for AOPA’s Air Safety Institute. I often reached out to him for his insights, as we shared the same philosophy about learning from accidents. I had tremendous respect for him, not only for his work with ASI, but also for his experience as a member of the USAF Thunderbirds. We often discussed how instructors could better prepare their learners to avoid these events.

That ended on October 1 when McSpadden and former NFL tight end turned FBO owner Russ Francis were killed attempting to return to Lake Placid Airport (KLKP) in New York. The Cessna Cardinal RG they were flying developed an engine issue shortly after takeoff. Witnesses told the NTSB that the engine sounded as if it was surging. Someone onboard the Cardinal radioed they were returning because of a problem.

The purpose of the flight was to do a photo mission for AOPA. The photo aircraft, a Beechcraft A36, took off first. Per company procedure for photo flights, the pilot/owner of the subject aircraft (Francis) was to fly the airplane during the takeoff, climb-out and landing, and after joining up in formation, the pilot-rated passenger (McSpadden) would take over the controls and fly the airplane, as photo shoots require formation flying.

The airport is on a plateau. There is a single runway, 14/22, measuring 4,196 feet long and 60 feet wide. There are several obstructions, including trees, which according to the NTSB preliminary report measure 77-feet-high located 884 feet from the runway, and 334 feet left of centerline, which required an 8:1 slope to clear. Additionally, there is a 13-foot-high berm with a road 145 feet from the threshold and more trees some 93 feet from the runway. The Cardinal came down short of the runway, nose first into a ravine. There was no fire, but fuel spilled when the wing tanks were compromised. According to witnesses, both men survived the crash but expired a short time later. The NTSB is still investigating the accident.

Like so many, I was stunned and rattled by the accident—so much so that I spent the better part of two hours recreating the event in the Redbird configured like the Cardinal, practicing the improbable turn. If it could happen to Spad, it could happen to me, I thought. A few times, I ended up in the ravine.  Later I spent two hours flying a Cessna 172 with the most experienced instructor I know in the Seattle area. It felt good to get some dual again.

Death by Time Builder

In October, I wrote Death By Time Builder in response to a crash in Kentucky involving an instructor, Timothy McKellar Jr., 22, who did a night cross-country flight in convective weather with l8-year-old private pilot candidate Connor Quisenberry. They were killed when thunderstorms tore the Piper Warrior apart. It is a sad story, made infuriating because McKellar, who had a pronounced social media presence, documented his frustration with the learner–and the approaching thunderstorms via Snapchat during the flight when, as an instructor, he should have been focused on teaching.

According to social media posts, McKellar soloed at Eagle Flight Academy in Owensboro, Kentucky, in 2020 but did the bulk of his training at ATP. He earned his private pilot certificate in spring of 2022, followed by instrument rating and commercial certificates, and in April 2023, his CFI rating. On his social media accounts, he listed ATP as his employer, but the fatal flight originated from Eagle Flight Academy. 

Based on the track recorded by FlightAware, which shows multiple laps in the pattern at Bowling Green, it appears the flight was done to satisfy the three hours of night flying and ten takeoffs and landings required for private pilot certification.

McKellar’s snaps included disparaging observations about Quisenberry’s intellect made during the flight. That is never okay. The CFI needs to be focused on teaching in the cockpit. Put the damn phone down.

The final Snapchat was made on the return leg and shows a preview of the flight path from Bowling Green to Owensboro overlying a radar image showing severe storms heading toward them. McKellar compares them to ‘pissed off hornets,’ noting that they are heading toward them, yet the flight continues with thunderstorms on either side of the proposed track. 

Flying into thunderstorms or trying to outrun them or duck between them screams ‘get there itis,’ and hazardous attitudes invulnerability, macho, anti-authority, impulsivity, and you might say resignation as when working with primary students the instructor is the pilot in command and responsible for the safety of the flight. The fact McKellar allowed the flight to happen at all with convective activity in the forecast is perplexing. 

In the last contact with ATC, McKellar asks for an IFR clearance, reporting the aircraft was being blown around like crazy. ATC gives a heading to turn to. The radar track from FlightAware shows the aircraft passing through the assigned heading, and there was no further communication. The wreckage was found spread over a 25 acre area.

Aeronautical decision making is a big part of learning to fly, and the ability to make good decisions can be compromised when the CFI is more focused on ‘getting it done’ and or social media presence. One wonders if McKellar had good risk management modeled for him as a learner. 

A few weeks after the event I attended the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) summit and this event was a topic of discussion. A great many professional CFIs and Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) are concerned about the time builders who rush through training and don’t have the time to mature as educators. Should we trust them to train the next generation of pilots?

When training  centers on passing the check rides and becoming an instructor to build hours, the focus often isn’t on becoming a good teacher, as it is seen as a stepping stone. It’s the learners who pay for this when their CFI demonstrates poor risk management, such as flying into a thunderstorm at night. I submit Quisenberry would have learned much more about decision making had McKellar canceled the flight. And both families would likely still have their sons.

Business Stories

On the business side of aviation, the announcement this month that Alaska Airlines was buying struggling rival Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion got mixed reviews from my airport sons and daughters who fly for both carriers. The acquisition was several months in the making and included Alaska Airlines taking $900 million in Hawaiian Airlines debt. While it may keep the island-based carrier afloat, it is not clear what impact this will have on seniority numbers. It’s just nice to know Hawaiian Airlines won’t disappear.

The Fun Stories

In early July, we asked our readers to help track down the legacy of Captain Jack L. Martin, a World War II-era aviator who went on to help establish the Flying Tiger Line, one of the first cargo airlines in the United States. Captain Martin went west in 1970, so he never met Anne Palmer Martin, who married his son Bob decades later. Palmer Martin was a college classmate of mine, and I was positively over the moon when she offered me the A-2 flight jacket that belonged to Captain Martin after Bob, who had inherited his father’s jacket, went west. It had been in the closet for years, and she hoped I could help her learn more about the jacket and the man who wore it, as I am a collector. Challenge accepted.

The jacket, dry and brittle with age, was carefully restored and photographed, and I reached out to my warbird and vintage jacket aficionados. There was one photograph of a 20-something Captain Martin wearing the jacket and what appears to be a USAAF uniform standing next to another man in uniform at what appears to be an air base. There are T-6s in the background and one of our readers told us the airplane they are leaning on appears to be a Beechcraft AT-11, which was a bombardier trainer during WWII.

We heard from several readers who knew Captain Martin from his civilian flying career. He flew supply missions to the Defense Early Warning line as it was being built during the Cold War and flew over both poles. He was well-liked and a good teacher, they said, and shared a few images of Captain Martin in uniform—including one that also showed Bob as a little boy with his father and sister.

Stuffy the Kitten Makes it Home

The most fun story came out of AirVenture 2023, and really didn’t have much to do with aviation, but rather the way the aviation community pulls together to help each other—that is the story of Stuffy the toy kitty that was accidentally left behind at KidVenture on July 24. Stuffy belongs to 6-year-old Brayden Eveleth of Grandview, Iowa. Eveleth celebrated his birthday at AirVenture, and one of his gifts was the plush toy cat that when microwaved, gives off a lavender scent. According to his mother, Ashley Eveleth, the whole family was distraught when Stuffy went missing while Brayden was distracted by the activities at KidVenture. The family retraced their steps and contacted EAA lost and found looking for the misplaced toy. As luck would have it, EAA volunteer Gary Sternberg posted a photograph of the found plushy cat on Facebook on July 28, urging readers to help the toy get back to its owner. Sternberg told FLYING he understands how important childhood attachment objects are to their owners, so he takes a vested interest in their return.

Real talk: having had a similar experience as a child when Reckless, the orange plush cat that was my copilot on my B-25/fort in the backyard was stolen, I was all over this one. The FLYING story went up on social media, and both it and Sternberg’s post were copied and shared several times over. We were able to track down the Eveleth family, who were overjoyed to hear the toy had been found.

The kind folks at EAA shipped Stuffy home, and Ashley Eveleth shared a video with FLYING of Brayden opening the box in the back of his mother’s car and weeping with joy to see his kitty again.

The post Stories That Struck a Chord This Year appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1941 North American AT-6D Texan.

North American turned out more than 17,000 AT-6 Texans and variants like the SNJ Harvard, mostly for advanced training during World War II. But the airplane’s career would continue long after the war, arguably to this day. Indeed, for many pilots the AT-6 remains the most effective preparation for those who want to fly high-performance tailwheel fighters.

Like many AT-6s, the airplane for sale here has been restored and upgraded in certain ways to keep pace with the changing demands of modern general aviation. Still, lifting off in this sturdy, 600 hp machine, retracting the gear and adjusting power settings is sure to transport modern pilots back to the early 1940s, when this airplane was the last stop before stepping into a thoroughbred fighter to fly combat missions.

My fondest AT-6 memory is of a family friend and career airline pilot who also owned one of the trainers and flew it regularly. We were members of the same radio-control model airplane club during the 1980s. One Sunday he circled our busy club field in a rural part of New Jersey. We loved the sweet sound of that radial engine. As he departed he performed a beautiful barrel roll—not something I would try today, but an absolute thrill at the time. We all cheered.

This 1941 AT-6D has 870 hours on the airframe, 280 hours on its Pratt & Whitney R1340 engine and 100 hours since overhaul on the Hamilton Standard propeller. The panel includes an Apollo 360 GPS, King KX 170B nav/com with KI 214 glideslope and Narco AT 50 transponder, uAvionics WingX ADS-B beacon and Sigtronics 200 intercom. Special features include a smoke system for potential airshow performances.

Pilots looking for an exciting warbird experience, invitations to airshows, or a stepping stone to flying frontline vintage fighters like P-51 Mustangs and F8F Bearcats, should consider building time in this 1941 North American AT-6D Texan, which is available for $210,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

• FLYING Magazine: The T-6 Texan
• The Aviation Consumer: Warbird Ownership: Respect Required
• The Aviation Consumer: Off The Beaten Path: Vintage Aircraft

The post Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 1941 North American AT-6D Texan appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The final National Air Races at Reno, Nevada are on hold following a two-airplane accident.

Reno Air Racing Association released a statement (see below) saying the pilots of the two aircraft involved are both deceased.

Identification of pilots has been held while the race organization contacts the next of kin. However, witness reports say that the two aircraft came together while recovering following the race.

The aircraft met such that the tail of one aircraft was severed followed by both aircraft falling to the ground at steep angles. There are no reports of anyone on the ground being involved; one aircraft appears to have crashed on open airport property, the other off airport also in open land between two sets of housing.

Whether the Unlimited and Sport Gold races will be run or concluded on the basis of previous heat races remains to be determined.

Statement regarding incident during final day of National Championship Air Races

Reno, Nev. – It is with great sorrow that the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) announces that around 2:15 p.m. this afternoon, at the conclusion of the T-6 Gold race, upon landing, two planes collided and it has been confirmed that both pilots are deceased. The RARA Board of Directors and the T-6 class president are working to notify next of kin and ensure families have all of our support. There were no civilian injuries and we’re in the process of confirming additional details around the incident. Additional information will be released as soon as it is available. All racing operations are currently suspended.

Safety is the foremost concern of RARA and we work year round to host the safest event possible. As we always do, we are cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA and all local authorities to identify the cause of the accident and ensure that all of our pilots, spectators and volunteers have the necessary support during this time.

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story.

The post Reno Races on Hold Following Collision appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“I started my involvement with Parkland Estates Airpark (7CO0) by moving there in 2017. We lived nearby and I had always been kind of interested in it, having seen a little Cub fly by there quite a bit. So, one day I took my youngest son there just to kind of watch it take off and land. It’s a private airpark, but we were kind of able to get on the property and watch this Cub do touch and gos.”

But this tailwheel aviator surprised the father-son duo with what he did next. 

“We watched this guy land, taxi over, and come to a stop near us by the fuel pumps. And then to my son, who was probably 3 or 4 at the time, the pilot asked, ‘Hey, does he want a ride?”’

Gottron was happy that his son had one of his first tastes of general aviation that day. 

“I love flying and can’t seem to get enough of it. I work for Frontier Airlines as a captain, and I’ve been there for about 16 years, and a couple of other airlines before that. But I always kept my general aviation love for flying alive by renting, or in the last few years acquiring airplanes. I currently own a little 1946 Luscombe. I also have a Piper Lance, and also, I just sold my Pitts Special, which I really loved flying around.”

• READ MORE: Falmouth Airpark Shows Off Cape Cod’s Charm

Snagging an Airpark Home

In addition to the Gottron’s home, there are 85 or so residences at Parkland Estates Airpark. Historically, very few of this community’s homes were listed for sale. Because of this, a combination of luck and outward interest early helped Gottron to snag his home when he did. And the person who he first met at Parkland Estates was who provided the tip about a couple of potential listings.

“A few years later, that same gentleman [the Cub pilot] said, ‘I have a couple of properties that aren’t even on the market yet. If you would like to give the owners a call and introduce yourself, you might be able to get in on one.’”

Enthused by the initial experience and all subsequent ones at Parkland, Gottron was quick to pick up the phone. “So that’s exactly what we did, and we were able to acquire one of the homes. It was pretty neat how it worked out. It had been very hard to get into the neighborhood prior to that,” Gottron says. 

“The airpark was started in the late 1970s and a lot of the folks who started it are still here. Some of them weren’t still flying actively but stayed because they really loved the place. To get into a house someone either had to move on or what not. It was really lucky that we were able to get into the neighborhood when we did. A lot of the deals in the last five years have been off market. That is until just recently, with the real estate boom, as some folks decided to sell at the peak last summer. Before then, it was kind of hard to get into Parkland Estates.” 

Gottron contends that this type of relationship building is important, even prior to becoming an airpark resident. This is especially true for those who know that they may one day want to be a hangar home owner and present timing isn’t appropriate, or availability at the desired community is non-existent.

“The thing would be to contact the HOA president [of the community you are interested in]. Ours tries to put out an email to folks when a new home becomes available. We really want to try and keep pilots in the mix here. We hope to be able to get pilots here, as opposed to people who want horse property or regular property. That is kind of how an airpark can die, if you get people that just want acreage and don’t really care about airplanes very much.”

• READ MORE: Building the New American Dream SkyRanch

Even with their best efforts, it can sometimes be challenging for pilots and aviation enthusiasts to become airpark insiders. Even up until relatively recently, it was more difficult for an outsider to become acquainted with Parkland Estates.

“Our airpark is a private community so it has an ‘R’ on the runway for ‘Restricted,’ but we encourage people to come by. If they fly in, it’s no problem, they just have to sign the hold harmless agreement that’s on the website. That way there is no liability for us if something happens. I think over the years it had a stigma of, ‘That’s a private airpark, don’t even go near it,’ and that kind of thing.”

But this type of stigma is detrimental to a fly-in community’s future. 

“We are trying to get away from that and are trying to share our airpark with the community. It’s just for liability reasons you have to sign the hold harmless agreement. We are really trying to be more welcoming of people here, especially nowadays,” Gottron continues.

This warm welcome is extended to aviators through an open invitation for a longstanding Parkland Estates tradition. 

“Every year we have a chili cookoff and fly-in, which is coming up Saturday, October 8. I have been involved with this event before and it’s really a lot of fun. We have a contest for who brings in the best chili, but also for the best airplane that flies in that people like.”

• READ MORE: An Airpark Dream Becomes Reality

Communal Bunch

Outside of this event, there is a very communal bunch at Parkland Estates. Gottron says that residents routinely enjoy each other’s company, whether it be a random night’s hangar get-together or a group flying to EAA AirVenture. There are at least 35 airplanes based at the airfield, of which there is a good mix of types.

“It’s all general aviation aircraft that are based here. We have some World War II aircraft; a Stearman, a T-6 Texan, and somebody just acquired a BT-13B. I think that’s it for warbirds, but we have a ton of other taildraggers. In fact, we have a fun thing called Taildragger Tuesday where everybody with a taildragger tries to get up in the pattern before sunset and fly around. So that’s kind of fun.”

After mentioning other onfield aircraft, including some Grand Champions minted in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Gottron elaborates on Parkland’s two runways. 

“We have one long runway, which is 4,200 feet long and is paved. We just resurfaced it about a year and a half ago, so it’s completely redone. Then we also have a short 2,000-foot crosswind runway that is also paved. And that’s just for north/south landings. Mostly when winds are gusty from the north is when we use it, but the STOL planes typically use that runway.”

The post Parkland Estates Airpark Offers Flying, Community, and Chili appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Reno has returned to flight status—and in fine shape as the shadows of the pandemic have retreated. The 2021 National Championship Air Races wrapped up Sunday with the final races in most classes at the Reno-Stead International Airport in Nevada.

The ghosts of the past have informed the racers of today. While protocols and attention to the details of racing safely make for a firm foundation, the conduct of each pilot still remains that person’s responsibility.

With a race card that went off without an incident or accident—and a high degree of professionalism—the collective cadre of pilots has proven its ability to rise to the level of airmanship that the “fastest motorsport” demands.

With seven classes now represented at Reno—STOL Drag was added this year to the six classes previously in play—the races offered up a breadth of aviation to weekend crowds that filled the grandstand after a two-year hiatus.

STOL Drag

Competitors in this newest of Reno classes completed their heats and finals during the week, with a wide range of aircraft and pilots vying for places in the bronze, silver, and gold divisions by testing themselves in a short-field takeoff and landing contest that played out directly in front of the crowd with a high degree of dust and drama.

The final round on Friday in the Gold division came down to a photo finish: The judges reviewed slo-mo footage to determine first and second place between Toby Ashley and Steve Henry. In the end, only 0.2 inches separated them.

STOL Drag Final Round:

The class illuminated the appeal of the new concept to relatively new and seasoned pilots alike—and how an airplane often considered “old and slow” such as a Piper Clipper can be used in a unique way to demonstrate adept pilot skill.

More results from STOL Drag can be found here.

Biplanes, Formula 1, T-6s

While other classes attract a broad range of types, the biplane, Formula 1, and T-6 classes pit birds of a feather against each other.

Biplanes Top Three (Gold):

More results from the Biplane class can be found here.

Formula 1 Top Three (Gold):

More results from the Formula 1 class can be found here.

T-6s Top Three (Gold):

More results from the T-6 class can be found here.

Sport Class

In airmanship and sportsmanship, the pilots competing within the Sport class at Reno set the bar. Established as a new class in the 90s, the Sport class allows for experimental and production aircraft to vie for a top speed on the Reno course within certain parameters.

The free and open nature of the class was evident in the camaraderie and competitive nature of the airplanes that scored at the top in each division.

For example, a Van’s Aircraft RV-8, Miss Ruby S, took top honors in the lowest speed class, Medallion, with Skylor Piper notching 233.921 mph on the course.

In the Bronze division, Neil Wischer’s Triple Eight led the pack in his RV-8 with a high mark of 254.302 mph.

Racing away from the rest in the Silver division was Vicky Benzing in Lucky Girl, her Lancair Legacy, with a blistering 305.199 mph.

The winner of the top speed division, Gold, was Jeff LaVelle, who notched 400.834 mph in his Glasair III—only the second pilot in the sport class to break the 400-mph barrier.

Sport Top Three:

More results from the Sport class can be found here.

Jet Class

The USAF Thunderbirds weren’t the only hot jets crossing the skies over Reno—for 2021 the Jet class featured L-29s and L-39s, with a lone L-139 flown by Dianna Stanger, and a SIAI Marchetti flown by Scott Farnsworth.

The Jet class gives Reno its top speeds overall—with winner Pete Stavrides clocking 502.362 mph in an L-29 in the Gold finals on Sunday.

Jets Top Three:

More results from the Jet class can be found here.

Unlimited Class

The unlimited class brings aviation history close at hand, with its parade of Sea Furies and P-51 Mustangs—the gallant warbirds that keep flying more than 75 years after their debut.

They were built for speed—and success in air combat—so it makes sense they would rule the roost. Though top aircraft in the Sport class now notch commensurate speeds in some cases, the Unlimited class holds onto final billing on the schedule as a position of honor these aircraft and their pilots have earned with blood, sweat, and tears.

Unlimited Top Three:

More results from the Unlimited class can be found here.

Click here to check out a photo gallery from the races in Reno.

The post Reno Air Races Return to Form appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“Everything we do here has to meet five criteria,” Kermit says as he whisks me through a full-scale set of a B-17 bomber awaiting a pre-dawn departure for a raid over Germany. I step past a snowbank outside the wooden briefing shack, shivering in the dark and robustly air-conditioned display area as I strain to hear Kermit over the discomfiting sound effects of a World War II British airfield on alert against a night attack. “It has to be thought-provoking, emotionally engaging, bump you ‘off-center,’ light a spark within you, and do all that in a way that everyone can relate to.”

Well, let’s see. So far, I’ve been in Kermit’s Fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City, Florida, about 15 minutes. And in that time, I have experienced the following sights and sensations:

I was first led along the interior of a drafty, noisy jump plane fuselage while being told I was going to have to jump into the black void of a night sky to enter the rest of the museum. (Turns out that, for the moment, no actual jumping is involved, although Kermit says plans are in the works to incorporate a jump line and blind descent on a harness. But the power of suggestion was effective, nonetheless.)

After that bracing intro, I got a reprieve in an ethereal chamber of bottomless sky, where a dream-filled wind caressed my face as I leaned out over a railing into a moving landscape of clouds. Straight from there, I was plunged into a realistic re-creation of the horrors of World War I trench warfare, with Sopwith Camels engaged in dogfights over my head while artillery boomed, explosions lit the smoke-filled night sky around me, and a German soldier, deep in a reinforced trench redoubt, pled via radio-in authentic WWI German slang-for an unlikely rescue.

Escaping the trenches, I found myself immersed in the chilly winter of England, preparing for a hazardous bombing mission. After a sobering briefing, I climbed into an authentically restored B-17, where I was instantly surrounded by a startling loud barrage of machine-gun fire from enemy fighters. Explosions from flak burst into my eardrums as I made my way past the waist gunner stations to the bomb bay, where a video of the doors opening and the German industrial landscape appearing far beneath me coincided with the jarring release sounds of our eight 500-pound bombs dropping toward their target.

Emerging from the uncomfortable racket of a battle-field bomber into the chill night of a lonely English airfield, where a mechanic is working to repair the fire and flak damage from our flight, I have at least a taste of how the infantry felt in the hell of the Western Front, and how the B-17 pilots and crews felt on their bombing missions. Or, by contrast, what might seem possible in a world of clouds, with the wind in your hair. And I haven’t even reached the main display hangar yet. Which I suppose means that Kermit Weeks, the resident wizard at the Fantasy of Flight, isn’t doing too badly when it comes to those criteria of his. Even though he emphasizes that everything I’m seeing is just a baby taste of his true vision, or what he hopes to offer in the future.

Strangely enough, this is my first visit to Kermit’s museum, even though I’ve been to Sun ‘n Fun at nearby Lakeland several times since the Fantasy of Flight museum opened in 1995. I suppose I thought I’d already been to my share of museums, seen my share of B-17s, and didn’t really need to see any more, even if people DID say Kermit’s place was “different.”

What those people didn’t tell me, though … and what might have motivated me to visit earlier … was what, exactly, was different about this particular air museum. Because, incongruously enough, what sets Kermit Weeks’ air museum apart from every other one I’ve ever visited, from the Smithsonian’s in Washington, D.C., to the Air Force’s in Dayton, Ohio, is this somewhat radical notion: The Fantasy of Flight air museum is not actually about airplanes.

“I have no interest in teaching or preserving history,” Kermit tells me as we’re heading into the immersion experiences that greet every visitor to the museum. “I don’t care where the story comes from as long as it relates to and teaches the human experience.”

Not that there aren’t airplanes galore to see at the museum. Kermit Weeks owns the largest private collection of historical aircraft on the planet (140)-a luxury afforded by the fortuitous discovery of oil off the coast of Australia by his geologist grandfather when Kermit was starting college. And not that Kermit himself doesn’t possess some serious aviation talent or credentials-two years of aeronautical engineering at Purdue University, two national aerobatic championship titles in a plane he built himself, and the distinction of being rated among the top three aerobatic pilots in the world five separate times.

But in my experience, I have found two distinct types of pilots in the world. There are those for whom flying and airplanes are an end in and of themselves. It’s enough to feel the physical and mental challenge and exhilaration of flight and control; to understand the mechanics of the planes as fascinating and compelling mysteries of design; to know the freedom of the sky.

The second group of pilots are those for whom flying and airplanes are more of a means to an end; a way of exploring and learning about themselves, the world, and life in an emotional and visceral way. It’s where airplanes take these pilots, literally and figuratively, and the vast array of possibilities and wonders they bring to mind, that makes the whole enterprise worthwhile.

I’m not sure which camp Kermit belonged to when he first learned to fly, but he is now most assuredly a member of the “means to an end” crowd. In fact, I think he might even be credited with developing that concept to a new level of art form. But what, exactly, is that end he aspires to? Ah. Well, to understand that takes spending some time with the wizard himself-not to mention a large mental capacity for processing esoteric philosophies and ideas.

“Flight is a metaphor that reaches to the core of what and who we are,” Kermit tells me over coffee, before we even enter the museum. “It’s about pushing our boundaries, reaching beyond ourselves and, in the end, freedom. Not everyone can relate to airplanes. But everyone shares a fascination for flight. Because flight is the most profound metaphor there is for what goes on inside of us. We soar in our imaginations and fly in our dreams. But I think what we’re really reaching for, in all of that, is ourselves. My goal is to create opportunities to light a spark to encourage people to continue on that journey-from who they may think they are to who they truly are.”

And how, exactly, does he intend to accomplish this lofty goal? A smile comes across Kermit’s face. “Through the most profound method available,” he says. “Entertainment.”

Kermit’s goals weren’t always so ambitious. Twenty years ago, when he first bought the property in Polk City, Florida, partway between Orlando and Tampa, his goal was simply to have more control over his museum operations. For years, he’d operated the Weeks Air Museum at the Tamiami Airport in Miami, but he didn’t own the property and flight operations were controlled by the county. Polk City offered a location close enough to some major tourist attractions to draw visitors, but far enough away to allow him to build his own runways and have more control over what went on there.

Plans for the new museum accelerated after Hurricane Andrew swept through the Miami area in 1992, completely wiping out the Weeks Air Museum hangar. Many of the aircraft were destroyed, and many others were damaged and scattered, including two of Weeks’ WWII bombers, which were finally found on the edge of some woods more than a mile away.

Faced with the need-and opportunity-to start over from scratch, Kermit took a hard look at his business and what he really wanted to accomplish with it. “My initial dream was just a bigger version of the Weeks Air Museum, with lots of airplanes and hangars,” he says. “But then I came up here and saw there was a higher standard for tourist attractions here. So I decided to display my airplanes in period hangars. And then I began to incorporate the idea of immersion experiences.”

The concept has been evolving ever since. At the moment, the facilities and offerings are still modest-at least in comparison to what Kermit envisions for the future. For eventually, he plans to develop a layout similar to that of his Mouseketeer neighbor up the street, but with different eras of flight and historical time instead of Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. If his plans come to fruition, there will be a half-scale replica of the Grand Palais Exhibition Hall in Paris, complete with floating dirigibles, to house rides and thought-provoking experiences related to the early years of flight. There will be a first flight airfield, complete with a ride attraction that allows visitors to experience for themselves the undulating trajectory of the Wright Brothers’ wobbly and brief first flight.

There will be a World War I airfield with opposing sides recreating battles of the air and ground. Two areas dedicated to rides and experiences related to the Golden Era of flight, and another two focused on World War II. Not the planes or the history per se, you understand, but on offering thought-providing rides and immersion experiences that use the drama of World War II and flight to teach, convey or connect visitors with some unifying and universal aspect of the human experience. And to make them think about reaching beyond themselves and whatever limits they believe constrain their dreams or their lives. Regardless of whether they have any inherent interest in airplanes.

Even now, with just the original complement of buildings, a few immersion experiences and no bona fide “rides” incorporated into the mix yet, the restoration shop tour guides don’t just talk about how airplanes are restored. They talk about Rosie the Riveter and the unlimited potential of women, emphasizing the point by pulling a couple of women out of the audience and teaching them on the spot how to buck rivets. The museum’s newly added audio tour offers not facts about each subject airplane, but a radio-esque dramatic reenactment of an experience its pilot might have known, while posing questions to the listener about how that experience might relate to his or her life experience and encouraging them to think about ways those insights might help them expand their horizons or live closer to their dreams.

The goals are ambitious enough to sound crazy. But as I consider that option, I remember that this is also a guy who took second place at the world aerobatic championship at the age of 24, in a plane he designed and built himself-with only two years of training as an aeronautical engineer.

I listen, in the afternoon, as Kermit talks to an assembled crowd about the T-6 that he’s about to fly and about the universal fascination with flight. “In the external world,” he recites as if retelling the sacred story of the eight nights of Hanukkah, “we talk about reaching for the skies, or the stars. And in our internal journeys, we soar in our imaginations, and fly in our dreams.” He’s probably given the speech a thousand times, exhorting his listeners to believe that they already possess the tools they need to journey beyond whatever limitations they perceive. With or without an airplane. But no matter how many times he may have given the speech before, the passion behind it is still real. And so is its impact.

As I watch faces in the crowd listening intently and nodding in hopeful agreement, I try to place exactly who or what character Kermit reminds me of. The Pied Piper of Hamelin? No … he led children astray. Walt Disney? No … his magic was letting people escape from themselves, not encouraging them to engage themselves. In the end, it’s Kermit himself who solves the mystery. On my way out, he points to a plaque outside his office that says, Toto, I think this man can help us.

“The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies,” he says. “And think about it. The wizard was just a guy bumbling through life with a fascination for flight. And all he was trying to do was help people realize their dreams and find their way home.” His voice drops a few notes and his intensely focused eyes grow a little moist. “That’s what I’m trying to do, too.”

For more information on the Fantasy of Flight, visit fantasyofflight.com.

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