I know, I know, this is not the correct forum for this, but I didn't feel anyone would read it if I posted it elsewhere:Monday, September 8, 2003First day of qualifing for this weekend's Reno National Championship Air Racing began and there were a couple of surprises.Skip Holm (flying the highly modified P-51 Mustang "Dago Red") set a "first" day qualifing record of 492.722 mph (single lap average speed). Skip Holm (Calabasas, CA) also holds the official lap record of 497.211 (set in 2002).In a seperate qualifing attempt, Mike Brown (Hawker Sea-Fury out of Carson City, NV), clocked an unofficial 508.021 speed. On the run, Mike had a catastropic engine failure rounding pylon 7 (a connecting rod exited the engine cowling), so Mike correctly pulled up to gain altitude but did cross the line. Pulling up immediately canceled the attempt, but his speed was recorded. With his cockpit filled with smoke, Mike called in a mayday and after opening the canopy (to clear the smoke) executed a safe landing.Steve Dilda (Memphis, Tenn.) averted disaster as he clipped pylon 3 with his port side wingtip (AT-6 Texan), losing the outer 3 inches of wing, Steve managed a safe emergency landing.Larry Lechner (Buena Vista, Colo.) had the propeller explode on his Formula One aircraft and Larry managed to land very long on runway 14, but after running out of runway and into the Nevada desert, Larry cart-wheeled into a deep ravine, destroying the aircraft. Larry received serious injuries included two broken ankles. Larry is listed in serious but stable condition at Washoe Medical Hospital. In 1981, this same aircraft (Chuck Wentworth piloting) suffered a similar mishap with its propeller, but the vibration of the lost prop ripped the engine loose and Chuck Wentworth landed safely with the entire engine assembly dragging the ground between the main landing gear struts, a rather spectacular sight I might say!The highly popular unlimited aircraft "Rare Bear" and "Strega" have yet to take to the air, though they are expected to do so on Tuesday.Steve (Bear) Cartwright

Man, that is some dangerous stuff, is it like that every year??I think I'll take out the P-51 tonight, haven't flown it in awhile !Regards, Michaelhttp://mysite.verizon.net/res052cd/mybannercva1.jpgCalVirAir International VAwww.calvirair.comCougar Mountain Helicopters & Aviationwww.cgrmtnhelos.com

yep, happens almost every year.. I was at a friends house in Stead and we heard a load crash in his backyard. We went to look and it was a p-51 canopy.