Shuttle Astronaut Robert Gibson to appear at this year's Reno Air Races

Born in Copperstown, NY, Gibson entered active duty with the Navy in 1969 and rose to the rank of Captain by the time he joined NASA in 1978.

Gibson flew five NASA space shuttle missions including pilot on Challenger in 1984 and as spacecraft commander on Columbia in 1986, Atlantis in 1988, Endeavour in 1992 and Discovery in 1995.

On the 1995 Discovery mission, Gibson commanded a crew of seven going up and eight coming down to Earth. This was the first space shuttle mission to rendezvous with the Mir Space Station and involved an exchange of crews.

In five space flights, Gibson completed a total of 36 1/2 days in space. He retired from NASA in 1996 to pursue private business interests.

Working as a commercial pilot for Southwest Airlines, Gibson considers Lakewood, CA to be his home and is married to NASA astronaut Dr. Rhea Seddon. They have four children and Gibson enjoys home built aircraft, Formula One air racing and surfing. In his 1998 rookie season, Gibson raced as an Unlimited pilot in Reno and will be returning in the 1999 Unlimited Class.

With a total of six race classes and a star-studded air show, the NCAR Board of Directors is looking to make this year's event the best ever. NASA astronauts from every space program will serve as grand marshals and the United States Air Force Thunderbirds will present several shows, all courtesy of the Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino. The 1999 Reno Air Races and Air Show are Sept. 16-19 at the Reno/Stead Airport. Ticket prices for the Air Races range from $8 general admission to a four-day, reserved seat season pass at $80. Pit Passes, Box Seats, VIP packages and sponsorships are also available. For ticket information, call (775) 972-6333.