Air Races sidelines first competitors

RENO, Nev. - The first day of competition in the Reno Air Races saw the first wrecks of the event and a six-time champion plane likely sidelined with a fried engine.

Two pilots also were disqualified for flying over deadlines around the Unlimited course. Another pilot was disqualified for forcing another pilot to cut inside a pylon. And still another was fined for flying too low.

Dave Anders of Visalia, Calif., whose Sport plane wrecked, was shaken, but complained only of a sore back. The plane overturned in the dirt after making an emergency landing.

''I don't know about that landing. I'm a better pilot than that,'' he said afterward.

Anders said the plane, a kit model, had an engine failure at the start of an afternoon race.

He landed safely without power. but the plane suddenly veered off the pavement and into the dirt, where it flipped.

He was one of three pilots who made emergency landings in the same race. The others were not hurt.

Another plane eliminated Thursday was Bill Destefani's P-51, Strega, out of Bakersfield, Calif., which was sidelined after his crew found traces of metal in the oil.

''The main bearing was making metal,'' he said. ''I wanted to give them a show and didn't get to do it. This was to have been my last race. Now, I don't know.''

Strega won six Reno championships between 1987 and 1997.

Other than that, it was a flawless start for Reno's 37th races that held a surprise for the fans and for the featured Navy Blue Angels.

They were unexpectedly joined by the Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team that happened to be in the area.

Race officials said the Air Force team was flying from Seattle and asked in advance for permission to fly by, apparently to return the favor for an earlier buzzing by the Navy pilots.

The 37th annual running of the championships runs through Sunday at the Reno-Stead Airport north of Reno.