Race Marks 75th Diamond Jubilee of the 1929 National Air Races

General Aviation made TV, radio and newspaper headlines across the country for all the right reasons as pilots demonstrated their skills in 3 cross country speed races that marked the 75th Anniversary of the National Air Races.

"Honor the Past. Invest in the Future" was the theme as $20,000 in cash, Jeppesen software and six scholarships were awarded. Teams were newsworthy because they enhanced the perfect safety record to over 457,000 safe race miles (about 18 times around the world) and over 3,000 happy landings. They brought positive press to every airport along the 2100-mile Marion Jayne California to Cleveland and the two 300-mile race routes. Awards were made at the TFR-delayed Cleveland National Air Show Center by Cleveland Convention & Visitors Bureau President, Dennis Roche and US Air Race President, Patricia Jayne Keefer.

Newly minted Grand Champions Shelby Bowles and Jim Reed are typical of the pilots that competed in the National Air Races as both make their livings outside of aviation and they made no special modifications to Bowles’ Cessna Skymaster "Wild Thing" for the races other than taking the bugs off. Aircraft are equalized with handicaps. Bowles is a former Marine and funds his flying as a financial advisor. Reed is a retired engineer and part-time air show performer. Both men are from Maryland. Racing as team #41, they won the Marion Jayne Perpetual Trophy with their performance across all three US Air Race events with an average speed of 198.39 mph, by 84 seconds or 0.21% margin: winning 1st in Division C 2100-mile Marion Jayne race on the last leg from Valparaiso, IN to Cleveland, OH, placed 9th in the closely contested California 300 race and cinched the championship in the last event, by winning the Cleveland 300 Race.

The lead changed several times over the 2670 miles of competitions as race strategies played out over 10 states and 6 days. Returning 2003 Grand Champion Texas pilots Bob Samson and Carol Burns won: Top Piper team trophy, the California 300 by a scant 14 seconds and the French Valley (CA) to Kingman (AZ) to Farmington (NM) legs. Stu Morse (FL) and Jim Clarry (NY), competing in honor of 1929 Air Boss E.Z. Newsom, won the Farmington to Dalhart (TX) leg in Stu’s Tiger. Arizona’s Don and Tookie Hensley won the Dalhart to Winfield (KS) leg in their 172. Returning winners Charles Robinson II and Maisie Stears (MI) captured first on the Winfield to Mexico, MO leg in Stears Geronimo with Arthur Mott’s Baron Cumulus Bound’s Larry Morris (NC) and John Dawson (VA) taking the Mexico to Valparaiso (IN) leg.

Flying Magazine sponsored the Top Rookie Racer Team award won by Greg Flanik (OH) and Art Ellison racing a rented Archer. History was flown as Christine St Onge’s (PA) 68-year-old 1936 Beech Staggerwing raced again. Painted to resemble 1929 race winner Louise Thaden's 1930's race plane, it had a three-woman team with St Onge, Barbara Cox and Louise Thaden’s daughter and second generation pilot, Patricia Thaden Webb (DC). Webb presented Marion Jayne Division A winners, Denise Waters (NY) and Nancy Toon (GA) with the Top Women’s Team award. Waters/Toon raced in honor of 1929 race winner and 1st female mechanic, Phoebe Omilie.

US Air Race founder, Marion Jayne, was named at the 2003 First Flight Centennial celebration as one of the 100 Aviation Heroes along with the Wright brothers, John Glenn, Amelia Earhart, Eileen Collins and others.

FMI: www.us-airrace.org