Boycott Scolari's!

Boycott Scolari's!

Boycott Scolari's!

Boycott Scolari's!

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Ron Buccarelli in "Precious Metal" (Left) and Skip Holm in Dago Red (right) during formation flying and filming for Jim Larsen, of Air Classics Magazine, Ed Schnepf, Publisher, Michael O'Leary, Editor. Buccarelli flew the camera plane for Larsen with a still-photo set-up on the starboard wing, near the tip, while Dago Red posed for both Larsen and Buccarelli, then later, O'Leary in the North American B-25 Mitchell camera ship, "Heavenly Body." The Challenge B-25, "Executive Sweet," was likely under restoration at the time this photo was being shot.

A rare formation shot indeed ~ and we have a few more that we'll feature later in this gallery. Just the same, here you have a hybrid Griffon-powered racer in contrast with a highly-modified Merlin powered racer of the P-51 Mustang variety!

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Jimmy Leeward on the ramp at Stead Airport, Nevada, his flight suit making it clear what Team he's flying for. Leeward will appear this year with two North American P-51D Mustangs, including Cloud Dancer, Unlimited Class Race 9, and the old, formidable, "Galloping Ghost," know better for its other Championship racing, as "Miss Candace," and "Jeannie," Race 69, then later as "Racer X," "Spectre" and "The Leeward Air Ranch Special."

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Space Shuttle Commander Robert "Hoot" Gibson boarding Unlimited Class Race 99, "Riff Raff," the Mike Keenum owned, Orthosport-sponsored, Hawker Sea Fury racer that over the years, has participated in some of the greatest Air Racing of the Modern era, to include the Sea Fury Battles of the late 1990s.

Gibson has also raced Riff Raff at AirVenture and won the AirVenture Cup in his division.

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Skip Holm stops to sign an autograph in the Pits following his formation photography flight with Ron Buccarelli in "Precious Metal," and Michael O'Leary in "Heavenly Body." A Lockheed test pilot, Holm's first outing at Stead was in September, 1981, and he won the Gold as a rookie. Holm is one of two "Rookie" test pilots to win the Gold, the other being Neil Anderson, who also won the Gold in his first outing while flying Race 8, "Dreadnought."

Holm is best known for his work as an F-117A Nighthawk pilot while Anderson was the pilot who took the General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 Fighting Falcon on its first flight. An "unexpected" first flight, but any first flight you can walk away from...<G>

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

A member of the crew brings Randy Bailey to a stop in "September Pops," the Hawker Sea Fury T-20 owned by Mike Brown and raced as Unlimited Class Race 911. Almost looks like he's trying to avoid those propellers, but you can rest assured he was a safe distance away and the "appearance" is only an issue of camera angle and depth of field.

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Taking the course is Bill Rheinschild in his Hawker Sea Fury, Unlimited Class Race 117, "Bad Attitude," under translucent clouds caught up in the Jetstream overhead.

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

A dramatic view as Bill Rheinschild lands in "Bad Attitude," Unlimited Class Race 117, after a qualifying attempt at Stead Airport, Nevada.

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Engine start for Robert "Hoot" Gibson and the Hawker Sea Fury racer, "Riff Raff," Unlimited Class Race 99, owned by Mike Keenum and sponsored by Keenum's Orthosport.

If you like Keenum's Sea Fury, you should see his Beechcraft Starship as well...<G>

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Brent Hisey's Unlimited Class Race 11, "Miss America," the only dual-control North American P-51D Mustang in the World (Not a TF-51 ~ actual P-51D). The aircraft is seen here ~ a miracle ~ considering it was nearly destroyed in a landing accident at Stead one year earlier. Painting was still underway when September arrived. Hisey brought the upgraded Mustang back for another spin around the Pylons, eventually going on to win the Silver before returning home to finish up with a new set of "Racing Stripes!"

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Departure of the USAF Thunderbirds Jet Demonstration Team following their performance over Stead.

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

The USAF Thunderbirds on the descent leg following a loop during a performance at Stead Airport, Nevada.

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Matt Jackson at the controls of Voodoo entering the straightaway from Outer Pylon 8. Jackson, known as the "P-51 Guru," is one of the few P-51 Mustang pilots to have actually passed Skip Holm and Dago Red during an Unlimited heat race.

By the way, there are at least three "Gurus" operating annually at Stead:

Skip Holm, the Guru to the "Wild Weasels" that once inhabited George AFB, Calfornia; Matt here, the "P-51 Guru;" and Jim Booth, the "T-6 Guru."

No shortage of good Karma in Air Racing! And if one considers the "Niyama Dharma" (which cause effects...), then one can see an immediate association with a "Thinking Man's Pilot," "Sage" or "Guru" in this case, so its not surprising to see or hear of so many "Gurus" in the ranks of Aviators. These can be interpreted essentially and elementally as a "Pilot Guru's" physical and spiritual tools:

~ Informational Source: Wikopedia

And P.S. This is just an observation by a novice...take it with a grain of salted humor...

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Heat Race: Robert "Hoot" Gibson and Unlimited Class Race 99, are framed inthe propeller blades of Tom Dwelle's Hawker Super Sea Fury, "Critical Mass," Unlimited Class Race 10, while Randy Bailey pursues Gibson in Mike Brown's Hawker Sea Fury T-20, "September Pops," Unlimited Class Race 911.

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Seeing as how it's Jimmy Leeward's plane, maybe we shouldn't oughta ask...<G>

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

The race develops into two of the hardest charging pilots in Air Racing facing off against each other, with Gibson leading in Riff Race, Race 99, followed by Howard Pardue and his Hawker Sea Fury, "Fury," Race 66 in the background.

A funny, trivial note to this particular contest:

...invert their Race numbers and each pilot winds up with the other's Race number!

99 / 66 <G>

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Any question as to whom these two are rooting for!? <G>

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Preview - Racers Over Stead ~ 2007

Gene Soucy and Wing Walker Theresa Stokes perform for the crowds at Stead.

Photo: Mark S. "Bear" Daniels / ILIPS Group International

Extra Edition

Daniels vs RARA et al

Serfoss vs Serfoss

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