July Member Spotlight "Reno Race Pilots"
Did you know AAASDC has 2 Reno Race Pilots?

Come on out to the Reno Air Races this year and support Gillespie pilots David Sterling and Colleen Keller, both competing in the Sport Gold class.

David built his Lancair Super Legacy (Continental TSIO-550), “Race 8”, and has been racing it since 2006.  In 2009 he took first place in Sport Gold, the fastest in the entire class.  David’s best speed around the Gold course to date has been 360 mph; he keeps getting faster each year.  In his “real life” David is a senior Captain for United flying the 787; he is also a life-long general aviation pilot with just about every rating imaginable.

Colleen crewed for team Race 8 (and others) since 2004, and in 2013 she got her chance to fly normally-aspirated Lancair Legacy Race 52 “Poncho” for longtime friend Jim Thomas of Pine Mountain Lake.  Over the past three years she’s consistently placed in the top of the Silver class or the bottom of the Gold, surpassing the magic “300 mph” mark in 2015 with a qualifying speed of 305 mph.  In 2016 Colleen will be returning to Reno piloting a new plane, a Lancair Super Legacy, purpose-built for racing.  Race 6, dubbed “Veruca Salt” after the spoiled rich girl in the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, will be debuting at Reno and should find a spot in the middle of the Sport Gold heats.

With luck David and Colleen will have an exciting competition at the races this year.  They would love visitors from Gillespie.  Come out to the Sport Class pit area in September to cheer them on and see these beautiful planes.  The Reno Air Races run Thursday through Sunday 15 – 18 September 2016 at KRTS (Stead) airport.  You can learn more at www.airrace.org<http://www.airrace.org> and www.sportclass.com<http://www.sportclass.com>, or see what you’re missing
Author: Admin
Updated On: 07/08/16 PST