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I'll bet she's hot. |
Posted on 08/30/2008 9:59:10 AM PDT by Feiny
Marilyn Dash of Hayward, who took her first flying lesson nine years ago on her 37th birthday, is now tearing around pylons at 180 miles per hour, 50 feet off the ground in her souped-up biplane, surrounded by a swarm of other planes all dashing to a finish line in the air. Dash will be one of more than 150 pilots competing in six classes of aircraft - from biplanes to jets - when the National Championship Air Races and Air Show take off Sept. 10 to 14 in Reno. In addition to dozens of wingtip-to-wingtip races at as much as 500 mph, the event will include displays of military aircraft, restored antique planes, the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds aerobatic team and flying demonstrations of the F-22 Raptor, the country's newest fighter, which incorporates stealth technology. More than 200 aircraft will take part.
Dash's plane is a compact Pitt's Special, a modern biplane designed for speed and maneuverability.
"This is not something you buy to take the kids out flying," she says. "It's not easy to fly and not easy to maintain. If you buy one of these, you must know what you're doing."
Even for seasoned fliers, the races have to be regarded as hazardous. Last year, three pilots were killed in crashes. Does she consider what she does dangerous?
"Yes," she says, pausing, "and no. The National Championship Air Races operational people, the air bosses, the pilots and crews, we do everything we can to maintain safety. We know what we're doing. We fly the airplanes a lot. My crew knows the airplane backward. I think we're doing the best we can, and the only thing I can say is that things happen outside of our control, and that's when accidents happen."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
She was. And one of the best and brightest at that.
Yeah. Sure she is.
< |:)~
Too bad. I’ve wonder what happened to her.
As you can see from the article, she’s alive and well. :)
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I'll bet she's hot. |
Thanks for the Reno Air Races ping. Been under the weather so to speak after returning from Oshkosh 2008. Last Reno visit, 1968. Liberace in gold lame` was the featured guest, or honorary poubah, and Bob Hoover in his P-51 was the flight boss or race starter.
I bet that was awesome. The year I born too.....
She is co sponsored by handymandelux.com
Who? :)
No, it’s North of where I am.
Bill Stead, a Nevada rancher, hydroplane racer, and World War II ace, in 1964 came up with the idea of reviving the National Air Races to help celebrate the centennial of Nevada’s statehood. When Reno’s Stead Air Force Base was closed in 1966, it was turned over to the city and renamed Stead Airfield, which has been the site of the Reno National Air Races ever since.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/stead.htm
When was the last time they had figure eight races?
The last time they were able to assemble suicidal pilots, I presume.
Awesome it was, but you were a year old. I just remembered I didn’t leave Thailand until may of 69, and got sent to Fairchild AFB but needed three months of KC-135 training at Castle AFB, and that is how I ended up at Reno in 69 instead (no pun intended) of 1968.
Go Bear! Go Ruby!
See you there, Box A81
Alive and well and she hangs out with some of the best in aviation. I hope she has a great and safe time at Reno!
Anyone in the SF Bay area, Travis AFB is having its annual airshow today (it’s over) and tomorrow (8-31). Thunderbirds are there and they were (almost, IMO) as good as the Blue Angels. Lots of other good flight demos and static displays! Worth going to see!
BUT TAKE SUNSCREEN OR SUNBLOCK. I look (and feel) like a boiled lobster right now! Otherwise ENJOY MIGHTILY!
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