Apparently urban sprawl is the main reason for the last Reno Air Races to be held in 2023. That backed by cost of participating vs. prize money and dwindling crowds are not helping.

The end of an era.

How many years did the event last? I was there in the early 90's, but I think it had been going for decades before that as I recall.

Started in 1964

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...%20Spanish%20Springs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno_Air_Races

I was there in 1999 when a p51 crashed.

The money to run those planes must be a mint.

Well that sucks. Always a bucket list item for me.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: apf383,

MicroLimp Flight Sim has the races as an add on. It does suck this is ending. Hopefully they find a new venue to keep the tradition going.

Ahh jeez... what a bummer. I've attended several of the big air shows, and we even used to do some local informal racing at our field, but I've never been to a full-blown sanctioned pylon air race and always wanted to hit Reno.

I really got into Red Bull air racing their last few seasons and was really hoping they would bring that back.

Between the ridiculous growth that is allowed around old established airports, the rising costs of insurance/ maintenance/ fuel, and smaller crowds willing to pay rising ticket prices, it's getting increasingly difficult to put show planes in the air.

I went to the Reno air race the year after the P-51 crash. I always wanted to see the race in person and figured its days were numbered. It was a great time and well worth the effort to attend.
If you have any interest in the races you should make the trek to Reno this year. They are talking about holding future races in other locations, but who knows if that will happen.

Last year's L-29 jet crash was likely the nail in the coffin.

I've attended a handful of races, each time, there's either a new housing development, business park or, warehouse center popping-up in the far distance. The big races everyone is there for the Unlimiteds and the newly introduced jets, need a big track to fly around. One of the guys we were watching with commented that at some point, the races will end as the insurance costs have spiraled beyond what anybody can afford, this was about 5-years ago. Here we are and the sunset is coming.

Hope they can find a new venue...Mojave Air & Space Port could work, Inyokern Airport could also but, both are far out there, accommodations would be limited.

Saw this. Hope they can find another venue.

RMD

Air racing won't end, but it's likely done in Reno.

Working with the Kalamazoo Airshow back in the early 1990's and being around those old warbirds you started to understand the vast monies required to keep those birds airworthy. It's not like back in the 40's when there were thousands, there are a dozen or least in most cases. You lose one and a piece of history is lost. As I'm sure many are aware their is fierce debate on how warbirds should be flown, and even IF. In the end it got too expensive for the museum to keep and maintain their entire Grumman 'Cat' collection airworthy and many were sold.

The remainder of the classes have similar cost mountains to climb and as the video loosely stated if it costs you $120K to get out there and get the bird in the air and the most you can win is $100K you can't cover your costs even if you win.