Reno Air Racing Association

National Aviation Heritage Invitational

an invitation to restorers of treasured aircraft . . .

Rolls Royce, The Reno Air Racing Foundation, and the National Aviation Hall of Fame invite those restoring our nation's aviation treasures to become part of the National Aviation Heritage Invitational competitions.

The National Heritage Invitational has been called "the Premier Traveling Aviation Museum in the United States". The annual competition attracts some of the finest restored vintage aircraft in the country. It is open to antique, classic, and military aircraft, 45 years and older, that have been restored to the condition in which they were flown early in their life. For more information, or to apply, visit heritagetrophy.com.

the trophy

The Invitational is dedicated to the recognition of excellence in the preservation and restoration of vintage aircraft in airworthy condition and is designed to encourage aviation history conservation. The Rolls-Royce Aviation Heritage Trophy resides in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

2009 event

Assisting in the presentations in 2009 were record-setting test pilot Dick Rutan; former air show and test pilot Robert ‘Bob’ Hoover; World War II hero Bud Anderson; 2009 National Aviation Hall of Fame enshrinee Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines; celebrated aerobatic pilot Patty Wagstaff; Ron Kaplan, Executive Director of the National Aviation Hall of Fame; Linda Shiner, editor of Smithsonian Air and Space magazine; Ken Perich, Executive Director of the National Aviation Heritage Invitational; Ginny Person, Director of Corporate Communication for Rolls-Royce; Bill Freeman, Publisher of Air Transport World; Katie Pribyl, Director of Communications for GAMA; Gates Scott, Publisher of PilotMag; Ray Berg, Vice President of Perform Air; and Mike Houghton, CEO of the Reno Air Racing Foundation.

history of the competition

The first Invitational was held in 1999 in conjunction with the National Championship Air Races at Stead Airport in Reno, Nevada. The 1999 trophy was awarded to Bob Odegaard, of Kindred, North Dakota, for his rare F2G-1D Corsair. The 2000 trophy was awarded to Ray and Sherri Dieckman, owners of a World War II era FG1D Corsair.

Due to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Invitational in Reno was canceled for that year. However, interest increased to the point that the Eastern Region Invitational was added at the 2002 Dayton [OH] Air Show to allow a larger number and broader array of vintage aircraft to participate.

The fourth annual Western Region Invitational was held September 12-15, 2002, in Reno in conjunction with the National Championship Air Races and Air Show. That competition was won by a Fairey Firefly owned by Captain Eddie Kurdziel of Del Mar, California. This spectacular aircraft received both the Rolls-Royce Aviation Heritage keeper trophy and the National Aviation Hall of Fame's People's Choice Award Trophy.

The winner of the fifth annual Western Regional event was won by Larry and Doris Beck with their classic Beechcraft G17-S S.

At the sixth annual Western Regional competition, Ben Scott won the overall trophy with his Stearman "Speedmail Jr." Other winners included:

Classic, post 1935 [Paul E. Garber Trophy]: LeRoy Peterson, Mesa, AZ, Howard DGA-15
Antique: Chris Woods, Tiburon, CA, Waco UBF-2
Military [Henry 'Hap' Arnold Trophy]: Chuck Wahl, North American T-28C
People's Choice Award: Mike Pupich, San Fernando, CA, North America B-25J

At the 2005 National Championship Air Races and Air Show, the following winners of the seventh annual Western Regional competition were announced:

Heritage Trophy [Rolls-Royce Aviation Heritage Trophy]: Kent and Sandy Blankenberg, 1948 Luscombe Sedan 11A
Classic, post 1935 [Paul E. Garber Trophy]: Mike Meloche, 1948 Cessna 195
Antique: Bill Allen, 1930 Stearman C3R
Warbird [Henry 'Hap' Arnold Trophy]: Steve Harjer, 1955 North American F-100D Super Saber
People's Choice Award: Danny Sommers, 1953 Douglas AD-5 [A-1E] Skyraider

The following winners of the eighth annual Heritage Trophy competition were announced at the September 2006 National Championship Air Races and Air Show:

Overall: 1918 Curtiss JN-4H owned by Frank Schelling, Pleasant Hill, CA.
Classic: 1939 Lockheed 12A owned by Les Whittlesey, Coto de Caza, CA.
Antique: 1932 Waco QDC owned by Alan Buchner, Fresno, CA.
Military: 1942 Curtiss P-40K owned by Ron Fagen, Granite Falls, MN.
People's Choice: 1918 Curtiss JN-4H owned by Frank Schelling, Pleasant Hill, CA.

The ninth annual Heritage Trophy competition winners were announced at the September 2007 National Championship Air Races and Air Show:

Overall: 1944 North American P-51D Mustang owned by Bill Wiemann of Alpine, WY.
Classic: 1937 Spartan Executive 7W owned by Steve Marini.
Antique: 1929 Travel Air 4-D owned by Bruce McElhoe.
Military: 1944 North American P-51D Mustang owned by Bill Wiemann of Alpine, WY.
People's Choice: 1937 Spartan Executive 7W owned by Steve Marini.

Winners of the 11th Heritage Trophy competition held at the 2009 National Championship Air Races and Air Show

Overall: 1944 North American SNJ-5C owned and restored by Chuck Wahl of Cameron Park, Calif.
Classic: 1937 Stinson SR-9F – owned by Richard Rezabek of Santa Clarita, Calif. and restored by Dr. David Stark.
Antique: 1934 Waco YMF-3 - owned and restored by Robert Juranich of Des Moines, Wa.
Military: 1940 Ryan STM-2 – owned by William and Claudia Allen of El Cajon, Calif. and restored by Ragtime Aero; engine by Brad Ball.
People's Choice: 1937 Stinson SR-9F – owned by Richard Rezabek of Santa Clarita, Calif. and restored by Dr. David Stark.

Visit the official Web site of the National Aviation Heritage Trophy for more information about the event and past winners.