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This year’s Reno Air Races to honor military

09/07/2017 11:56 PM
This year’s Reno Air Races to honor military
A Hercules C-130 flown by the Nevada Air National Guard will be on display at this year’s Reno Championship Air Races.
Steve Ranson/LVN photo


An E/A-18G Growler f141 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). The jet will be part of a static display at this year’s Reno Championship Air Races. U.S. Navy photo by MCS3 Bryan Mai


By Steve Ranson, Lahontan Valley News Editor Emeritus

This year’s National Championship Air Races north of Reno has something specially planned for the 2017 show.

Saturday has been designated Military Appreciation Day, said Jessica Sanders-Walker, Reno Air Racing Association’s (RARA) military liaison. Active-duty, retired, reserve and National Guard military personnel, through the generosity of local sponsors, received more than 1,500 complimentary tickets to watch the third day of the air races.

“The National Championship Air Races have a long and proud history of working with and supporting our military,” said Tony Logoteta, RARA’s chief operating officer. “We are proud to dedicate an entire day to honor and celebrate the service so many brave men and women have given and are giving to our country.”

Walker said RARA distributed tickets to Naval Air Station Fallon, Honor Flight Nevada, the Nevada Air and Army National Guard, the U.S. Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, Calif., chambers of commerce in Fallon and Fernley and disabled veterans.

“We are thrilled to offer our inaugural appreciation day and USO-type show to the military,” said Walker, whose husband Is a Navy pilot.

Walker said a big day is planned that includes static airplane displays, air demonstrations and racing and a USO-type show featuring the Bama Girls Troupe, all former Miss Alabamas. The troupe will sing the national anthem at both opening ceremonies on both Saturday and Sunday and present a high-energy show featuring well-known military songs and selections from other genres. The troupe’s 90-minute show on Saturday begins at 5 p.m.

The Bama Troupe Girls will perform during the Military Day ceremonies at the Reno Championship Air Races on Saturday, Sept. 16.
Photo Courtesy Jessica Sanders-Walker


“Since 1989, the Bama Girls have entertained troops around the globe from Panama to Guantanamo Bay, to Iraq and installations all across the United States,” Walker said, adding the show is sponsored by the city of Fallon, CamGuard, Spencer Aircraft Supply, Disabled American Veterans’ Reno chapter and the Not New Shop at NAS Fallon.

“We greatly appreciate their incredible support of our military and their families,” Walker said.

Sanders said she has been passionate about being the liaison for the military appreciation day and also saw the day as one for relaxation for many military personnel including sailors and aviators from carrier air wing training at Fallon that will be performing back-to-back deployments. She said the Navy will be transporting the aviaitors and their crews to Reno for the air races.

“My dad’s been racing here for 15 years, and as a daughter of the military and active-duty spouse, I saw this as a perfect opportunity for a day of R&R (rest and recreation) for our military,” she said.

According to Walker, the military will be excited to see the displayed aircraft including the C-130 transport plane, the C-17 Globemaster, AV-8B Harrier, the F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, A10 Thunderbolt II and various helicopters.

“As always, the National Championship Air Races are showcasing a number of military static displays during race week, and we look forward to our current and retired military fans being able to see these types of aircraft up close,” Logoteta added.

Sanders agreed, saying the military guests will enjoy the static displays from all services. Based on the number of tickets already distributed to all branches of the military, Walker said she is anxious for this year’s show and air races to begin in several weeks and optimistic about Military Appreciation Day becoming an integral part of the annual air races.

A small number of tickets remain for military personnel and may be reserved by calling one of the following locations – first come, first served:

Reno ANG: 775-788-4585

NAS Fallon MWR: 775-426-2836

Plumb Lane Armory: 775-384-5811
Upload date: 09/07/2017 11:56 PM
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Comment author: John Mueller Comment text: FERNLEY’S WATER EMERGENCY: FIVE QUESTIONS STILL NEED ANSWERS The November 12 Fernley Reporter article provides a good recap of the November 3 water emergency and the November 4 City Council meeting. First, credit where credit is due. Our city employees responded, restored operations, and took precautions to protect residents. That’s important and appreciated. But fixing the immediate problem isn’t the same as preventing it from happening again. There are five reasonable questions our community deserves answers to: 1. WHAT ACTUALLY FAILED? What was the root cause of the water treatment plant’s communication failure, and why didn’t the backup systems prevent the interruption? 2. HOW CLOSE WERE WE TO A REAL EMERGENCY? How much usable water remained in storage, and how close did we come to affecting essential services, including firefighting? 3. WHAT WILL THIS COST TAXPAYERS AND RATEPAYERS? What did the emergency cost, what additional repairs or upgrades are necessary, and how will they be funded? 4. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE IT DOESN’T HAPPEN AGAIN? Is there a written corrective-action plan with assigned responsibilities, measurable results, and completion deadlines? 5. HOW WILL RESIDENTS KNOW THE PROBLEM IS REALLY FIXED? Will the city publish an after-action report explaining what happened, what was learned, what has been corrected, and what still needs attention? This isn’t about pointing fingers or finding someone to blame. It’s about learning, improving, and protecting our community. We can appreciate the city’s response while still expecting transparency, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Some technical information may need to remain confidential for security reasons. But that shouldn’t prevent residents from understanding the risks, the corrective actions, and the results. The real question isn’t whether Fernley recovered from the November 3 emergency. We know it did. The question is: If the same failure happened tomorrow, would we be better prepared? That’s a conversation worth having. Our community deserves more than reassurance. It deserves measurable results. Comment publication date: 11/12/26, 1:54 PM Comment source: Fernley Council Addresses Water Emergency Comment author: Donald DeVold Comment text: Great article It’s actually spelled DeVold Thank you Comment publication date: 10/29/26, 4:58 PM Comment source: The great robbery: Strip-6 by Solis helps Vaqueros punch playoff ticket Comment author: CH Comment text: I want to start a betting 'pool' for the October, November, and December closures: 1. A dent in the pool slide. 2. A failed breaker. 3. A pebble loose in the water part (replacing all concrete) 4. Hurricane Polo makes a sudden turn and blows off the roof (again). With soft muscles after 7 months of no swimming, the only health left is my sense of humor :) Comment publication date: 10/1/26, 11:18 AM Comment source: Fernley Pool Renovation Moves Forward, One Test at a Time Comment author: PFB Comment text: Why can't you guys find competent contractors.. For a large municipal facility like the indoor-outdoor Fernley Swimming Pool located at 300 Cottonwood Lane, a complete ground-up commercial build or major structural renovation typically spans 6 to 12 months or longer when factoring in large-scale engineering, public municipal permitting, specialized commercial HVAC/roofing, and health department inspections. The current renovation has been- The Fernley Swimming Pool has been closed for approximately six to seven months since late February 2026 for a major roof replacement and facility renovation. Now you sat October. Soooo 8 months for a new roof. The picture shows no other renovations. Comment publication date: 9/17/26, 7:14 PM Comment source: Electrical problem delays Fernley pool opening Comment author: P Comment text: Relative of the Mayor is to over see this site. Anyone who knows Fernley KNOWS this is more of the who you are related to and know business in this town. VOTE THEM ALL OUT AND THE CALIFORNIA TRANSPLANTS. Comment publication date: 9/16/26, 10:31 PM Comment source: Lift Station Failure Released Untreated Sewage Comment author: Christopher Walsh Comment text: Could you look into the strong recurring smell around Fernley? It smells like sewage and it can be bad enough that people don’t want to be outside or open their windows. It would be helpful to get an investigative journalist help the Fernley residents get a clear answer from the City, NDEP, and any involved facilities. I was really disappointed that the smell was not disclosed by my realtor when I moved here. I enjoy Fernley and am seeing the improvements that are being made. With Appreciation Comment publication date: 9/12/26, 2:49 PM Comment source: Sewage spill near City of Fernley Municipal Well 9
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