Reno air races get permit to return in fall

RENO - The Reno Air Racing Association has cleared a major hurdle in its bid to continue holding national championship air races this fall.

The future of the 48-year-old competition has been in question since a place crashed at the event in September, killing 11 people and injuring more than 70.

Some insurance questions remain, but the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Board of Trustees voted Thursday to renew the necessary permit for at least another year as long as organizers follow all federal safety rules.

That includes any new recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board when it completes its investigation of the fatal crash.

The Reno air races feature planes flying wing-tip-to-wing-tip around an aerial track, sometimes just 50 feet off the ground at speeds above 500 miles per hour.