Specialty Press

Air Racing Over Reno

by  Philip Handleman

Reviewed By  Fred Horky, IPMS# 6390

MSRP: $24.95 ISBN: 1580071120 Web Site: www.specialtypress.com For most, "Air Racing" and "Reno" will automatically conjure visions of wildly modified and painted old WWII piston engine fighters with their engines pounding them around the pylons. That is a good start, but it's not the whole story. In this excellent verbal and graphic coverage of air racing at Reno, author/photographer Handleman describes the entire, multi-faceted face of this sport. Beginning with a brief history …which mostly means the Cleveland Air Races before and for a short period after WWII…he describes how in the mid 1960's air racing arose again in the deserts of Nevada. The venue is perfect: the facilities (ramps and runways, etc.) of the former Stead Air Force Base, which will be recalled unpleasantly by a couple of generations of Air Force crewmembers as the former home of "Survival School". There is plenty of open desert surrounding Stead, but it is still close by the bright lights of famed gambling-center Reno to draw and support the large crowds of spectators necessary to financially support a really big event. Following chapters describe and illustrate the six classes of racing: the familiar big "Unlimiteds" based on piston-engine WWII fighters, plus the one-type T-6 races, the small "Formula 1" or "midget" racers based on the same small piston engine, biplane racers, sports racers, and the recently added jet racers like the shapely Czech L-39 trainer available from former Eastern Bloc sources since the end of the Cold War. It all adds up to an exciting week of total immersion in hi-octane aviation. Another chapter is devoted to capturing details of exotic paint schemes of these interesting aircraft; while appendices are also included to list race winners over the years. Fundamentally, this is a picture book which captures the essence of today's air racing: recommended to enthusiasts! This book is published in an 8˝" X 11", soft cover format, its 128 pages containing approximately 128 photographs, all in full color. Available from the publisher, http://www.specialtypress.com/ at $24.95. My thanks to Specialty Press for the chance to review this book.

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