Air Power
1999 National Championship Air Races
Fire Up September 16-19

The Reno Air Races are not just about air racing - the fastest motor sport in the world. It's about man's victory over the forces of gravity and nature. This year, the Reno Air Racing Association will commemorate "Heroes of Flight". To recognize the 30th Anniversary of man's first steps on the moon, confirmed grand marshals at this time include a reunion of NASA astronauts spanning the history of America's space program - Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle:

• Jim Lovell (portrayed by Tom Hanks as commander of Apollo 13)
• Frank Borman (commanded the Gemini 7 space endurance flight in 1965 and the first manned flight around the moon in 1968 on Apollo 8)
• Eugene Cernan (walked in space on Gemini 9, orbited the moon on Apollo 10 and walked on the moon commanding Apollo 17 - the last man on the moon)
• Curtis Brown (veteran of five space shuttle flights, including recent John Glenn flight and Unlimited race pilot)
• Robert "Hoot" Gibson (veteran of five space shuttle flights including rendezvous with the Mir Space Station and Unlimited race pilot)
• Bill Anders (one of the first crews to break away from the Earth's gravity and orbit the moon on Apollo 8, and Unlimited race pilot)
• Rhea Seddon, M.D. (one of 26 female astronauts and wife of Gibson)

There will be many thrilling attractions during the four-day event. Visitors will be dazzled by the flight skills of such aerobatic stunt pilot greats as Bob Hoover, Greg Poe, Wayne Handley and Tim Weber. Also on hand this year will be the world-renowned U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron - The Thunderbirds and also Canada's Norhern Lights. The show will also feature many static military NASA displays including space capsules and Space Shuttle cockpits.