New course at Reno air races debuts to praise

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Pilots offered praise this week for a new course designed to keep them farther away from spectators at the Reno National Championship Air Races after last year’s accident that killed 11 people.

Pilots who flew the course for the first time during a training seminar this week ahead of the Sept. 12-16 races reacted positively to it, said Reno Air Racing Association President Mike Houghton. The repositioning of several pylons moves the course about 150 feet farther away from spectators and helps to ease the gravitational pull on pilots competing in the fastest of six aircraft classes by smoothing out some turns, he said.