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Alexis Park Inn & Suites
  1165 S. Riverside Drive
   Iowa City, Iowa  52246
Toll Free: 888-9ALEXIS

(888-925-3947)

Local:  319 337-8665
Fax:    319 351-4102
Email:

Proud Members of:


Iowa Bed & Breakfast Guild


Iowa City Chamber of Commerce


Iowa City Convention & Visitor's Bureau


 

The Air Races

The Reno Air Race is the last representation of a proud era of air racing.   At one time, the Bendix Trophy Races, the Cleveland Air Races, the Thompson Trophy Races -- and dozens of smaller venues -- dominated the air racing scene.   Today, only Reno continues to uphold that proud tradition.

The fastest motor sport in the world, air racing must be seen to be believed.   Engines that were designed to produce 1500 horsepower make a terrible, other-worldly sound when they are pushed to 3000 horsepower -- and beyond.   And it's absolutely astounding to see aircraft flying six feet apart, 20 feet off the desert floor -- at 500 miles per hour!

Click a thumbnail, below, to see larger pictures...

Click here to view a short movie of an Unlimited air race...


Mary and Jay at the main entrance...

A guy with all the toys -- a Viper and an L-39...

That's a real Mitsubishi Zero, according to the plaque...

A rare, contra-rotating dual prop British plane...

F-15s starting up...

...and taxiing past...

...and doing a high-speed fly-by...

Airshow pilots performed between each race...

Static displays included this beautiful Globe Swift...

A spectacular Ryan Navion...

The grandstands from the vendor area...

Posing with the Stead Airport tower...look at that sky!

Fueling the world's fastest plane, Rare Bear...

Rare Bear looks fast just sitting there...

Every day the Air National Guard dropped a car that was "illegally parked!"

Hauling it up higher...

...and higher...!

Same story the next day...

High up in the sky, only to...

DROP IT!

A heritage flight was a daily happening...

A nice close up of two classic P-51s and a modern F-16...

Nemesis, the ultimate Formula One plane, with damaged wingtip...

Nemesis is awesome, even after being damaged...

In the pits...that's an awesome plane!

Keeping those giant engines happy isn't easy...

A Mustang in pieces...

Bob Hoover's old plane, "Old Yeller"...

Keep 'em flying...

The big teams provide shade for their crews...

Howard Pardue's awesome Grumman Bearcat...

Jay at the entrance to the pits...

Miss America is a crowd favorite...

Rare Bear's engine is simply awesome...

Look at the size of that thang!

Working on a Mustang...

Another shot of Miss America...

Fine-tuning the beast...

Look at Rare Bear's engine!

"Merlin's Magic" -- a gorgeous P-51...

A rare Russian Yak...

Gorgeous...

The only Grumman Tigercat to ever race at Reno!

The last F-4 Phantom...

Mary at the Sport Plane hangar...

Mary with the tower...

Mary's cool Reno jacket!

Nemesis again...

A race starts over your right shoulder!

Rare Bear taxies out...

Rare Bear taxiing...

Rare Bear taxies for departure...

The Red Knight, used to start the air races...

The results board...

Sport planes were cool, too...

A beautiful Beech Staggerwing...

A high-budget Swearingen SX-300...

A low-budget Swearingent SX-300...

A rare Fairey Firefly...

Unlimited racers flashing past the grandstand...

Flashing past the main pylon...

More unlimited class racers...

Now THAT is a "photo finish"!

More racing...

They're so fast, they're hard to track!

A racer and a jet's tail...

What a scene!

Look at 'em go!

The grand view from the grandstand...

The Red Bull races were new, and very different!

They fly a timed, closed course between inflatable pylons...

...And get AWFULLY close to the ground...

The 2000 Reno trophy...

The 2003 Reno trophy...