Carolyn Hinton

“The Photographer’s Perspective”

Carolyn Hinton
Florida Aviation Network
Orlando, Florida

January 2026
Creating a New Legacy

Creating a New Legacy
Carolyn Hinton

When the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) announced in early 2023 that it would be their last year in Reno, Nevada, I decided to make the trip because for years I had wanted to see the air races but never actually made it out there.  Then in 2025, when RARA announced a new venue in Roswell, New Mexico, I went because it is not often one can say they took part in the first of something truly historic.  

My good friend, and fellow FAN photographer, Rich Spolar traveled with me.  Neither of us having been to Roswell before, we decided to make an adventure out of it.  Exploring the town, shopping at local businesses, and (of course) visiting the UFO museum.  We made a point to eat at locally owned restaurants every day, and one night even took up an invitation to a small drag strip hidden somewhere behind an aircraft boneyard.  After the races got rained out on Saturday, we drove about 12 miles outside of town to Bottomless Lake State Park, upon a bit of hiking it’s easy to see how the place got its nickname “Land of Enchantment”.  Thanks to the hospitality of Roswell Airport Operations, prior to our flight out on our last day, we ended our trip with a private tour of said boneyard.  Everywhere we went, the community was welcoming, people were excited for the air races, and I do hope the aviation community responded in kind. 

As many things do, air racing had modest beginnings, with small competitions here and there throughout the US during the early 1900’s.  Then in 1964 the first National Championship Air Races were held in Reno, Nevada.  Over the course of almost sixty years, air racing became a professional motorsport, growing to include seven different types of racing classes.  Spectators, pit crews, pilots, and support personnel, traveled to the Reno-Stead Airport by the thousands to be part of this annual event.  RARA spent 59 years in the desert mountains of the Sierra Nevada’s, so as you can expect, the first year in a new location had its share of issues.  Due to a number of reasons, the Sport and Unlimited classes both did not participate.  The remaining 5 classes of aircraft included, Formula 1, Jet, T-6, STOL Drag, and the return of the Bi-Plane class.  The schedule was still packed, with most classes having two (or more) heats each day, along with other show performers taking to the sky. 

Upon arrival the first day, we could see much of the grounds were covered with blacktop that was obviously new.  This was because the city of Roswell had already invested a great deal into this event, with the promise of more work to come.  The tarmac hosted racing pits on one side, static displays on the other, plus a temporary set of grandstands, STEM areas, vendors, VIP chalets, and all the other things you would expect to see.  The turnout seemed quite good for their first event, and I would expect to see it increase next year.

So now the first flag has flown, but there is still work to be done.  While it was undoubtedly sad to see the races forced to leave Reno, one thing is certain, the city government of Roswell, with the support of its community, is committed to the success of the National Championship Air Races.  At the very least, this move has created a renewed interest among those in the aviation community.  As for myself, I have now traveled to places I never expected to visit, and made new friends from around the world.  The heritage of air racing at Reno will never be forgotten nor replaced, but now in the Land of Enchantment, a new legacy begins.