It seems that man has a built in desire to ace with his fellow man. We see it in sports -- who is faster? Men challenge other men to a foot race. And then they raced their horses, or bicycles, then motorized vehicles, cars, boats, and -- airplanes!

In 1909, just seven years after the Wright Brothers made their first successful powered flight, the first (official) Air Race (which lasted one whole week) was held in Reims, France.

There were a surprisingly large number of planes entered in the race, from most of the European countries, but not the Wright Brothers, who de-clined an invitation to enter. The race was won by the only American entered, Glenn Curtis, who prevailed thanks to superior flying skill rather than having the most powerful engine.

Later, some of the races were long distance events, such as the the Powderpuff Derby Race, for women pilots to various points in the US, or the England to Australia Race, mostly Airline planes from many countries. The event was discontinued during World War II and never brought back.

Beginning in 1921 the United States became the home of the most prestigious Air Races in the world, and The Cleveland "National Air Meet" became the shining star in that "Golden Age of Air Races" (hosting the prestigious "Pulitzer Cup Race" and "Thompson Cup Race").

Race time in Cleveland became a veritable Who's Who of the aviation world, attracting, at various times, the likes of celebrities like Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Jackie Cochran, and Col Jimmy Stewart.

The 1929 Meet was memorable -- 300,000 spectators flocked to Cleveland to attend the nine-day party. The parade rivaled that of a Rose Bowl parade, with 200 floats, 1,500 marchers, three Goodyear blimps.

Over $3 million of aircraft was on display, and 5,000 pigeons were released from the steps at City Hall. Between the races spectators were treated to unprecedented displays of aerial acrobatics and fireworks.

During this period there were a number of other notable Air Races, including Omaha (1931-1934), which was one of four Regional National Air Races. These races usually attracted eight or 10 homebuilt planes, which raced around a five mile course, flying from 50-100' above the ground at some 200 mph, around tall poles, called "Pylons," marking the course. The Omaha Races attracted a number of well known aviators of the day, such as Chas. "Spud" Holman, Gordon Israel, and Art Chester.

The Cleveland Air Meets lasted until 1949. By that time most of the planes entered in the race were US World War II fighter planes, especially surplus P-38s and P-51s, reaching speeds of over 400 mph.

The Cleveland Races were halted abruptly after the 1949 meet when famed aviator, Bill Odom, a World War II Ace (who was never-the-less relatively inexperienced in Pylon flying), crashed during a race, killing himself and a mother and infant son, who were in the home into which he crashed.

For a number of years Pylon Air Races were considered too dangerous to continue, considering the size of the planes and the speeds they were beginning to attain. But there were a few aviation enthusiasts who lamented the demise of their favorite form of the sport.

One of these fellows was a Nevada rancher named Bill Stead. Stead was a former Air Force pilot who had a passion for fast boats and fast airplanes. By 1962 he had already become the National Championship Driver of the Unlimited Class of Hydroplanes, and had turned his attention to reviving Pylon races for Airplanes.

Bill Stead knew a number of very important persons, and he was a persuasive talker, yet it took him two years to convince his fellows in the aviation fraternity and the politicians in Nevada of the merits of a renewed Air Meet, to be held at a very small airport just north of Reno, at Sparks, Nevada.

For the first "Reno National Championship Races" Stead had devised a very ambitious program, consisting of four distinct classes of racers, 1. Unlimited Class, for "Big Bore" military fighter planes, 2. Formula One Class, which replaced the old Midget Class from the Cleveland Air Meet, 3. Ladies Stock Planes Class, which was restricted to Standard Piper Cherokee planes, and 4. Racing Bi-planes Class, an all new class.

In addition to the racing planes the nine day event featured balloon races, the first American Aerobatic Championships, and a top notch air show highlighted by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

Feverish activity was made prior to the Air Meet to ready two 2,000-foot sand air strips and to remove acres of sage brush to have space for a ramp for the race planes, grandstands, and crowd facilities.

Unfortunately, the sponsors could do nothing about a freak windstorm, which kicked up dirt and sand from freshly graded facilities, making flying and landing hazardous and uncomfortable for onlookers.

Despite all handicaps, the Reno Air Races were a hit right from the start. In 1966 they moved to the new Reno "Stead" Airport, which had been a former Air Force Base, where they have grown in size and facilities to the premier event that the Races are today.

(Ironically, the Stead airport, which has become so closely identified with the Reno Air Races was not named after Bill Stead, the Father of the Reno Races, but instead was named after Bill's brother, Croston Stead, who had been killed in a plane crash while flying for the Nevada National Guard).

Unfortunately, Bill Stead did not live to see his dream entirely fulfilled. In 1965, shortly after the Reno Races, he was killed in Florida, flying one of the fast small Formula One planes that he so dearly loved.

Today the Reno Air Races have been expanded to six classes, all of which still fly a closed, pylon marked, course. 1. The Unlimited Class regularly post speeds in excess of 450 mph, and sometimes reach 500 mph. 2. The Formula One Class hit 250 mph. 3. The newer Sport Class, consisting of kit built and specialty planes will exceed 300 mph. 4. The T-6 Class (World War II training planes), reach speeds of 230 mph. 5. The popular Biplane Class stays close to the ground and clocks in excess of 200 mph. 6. The newest is The Jet Class, which features "an exhilarating blend of speed and sound."

The Reno Races attract a great number of fans (more than 200,000) from all over the world. Some of these fans are curious spectators. Some are associated with the aircraft industry in one way or another. But many of the spectators are hard core racing plane junkies. This latter group would have to include a small group of mechanically minded fans from McCook and Southwest Nebraska.

Since the early '80s Mike Nothnagel, Ken Wells, Wayne Autry and Frank and Dick Shoemaker have been semi-regular attendees at the Reno Races.

Some of this group became acquainted with some of the flyers (including Hall of Famers, Jim Driscoll and Bob Hoover) when they participated in the McCook Air Show in 1978, put on by Milt and Jay Johnson. They have watched the Reno Event grow from a rather informal, close-knit group of aviation enthusiasts to the giant international extravaganza that it is today.

In earlier days, one could wander among hangars and visit with the pilots and mechanics as they worked on their planes, and continue those visits at the hotels where most of the attendees, participants and spectators alike, stayed. Friendships were formed. The McCook group began to crew for some of the racers, and many times those racers have stopped in McCook to hunt pheasants or just visit with their McCook friends.

So now, as Sept. 15 approaches Mike and the boys from McCook are checking their calendars and working out their travel arrangements for Reno, to again watch their flyer buddies "Fly Low, Fly Fast, and Turn Left (around the Pylons)."