Picking up from the other post with some Sunday stuff here...
The official opening ceremonies for Sunday started off with a memorial service for the eleven people who died as a result of the Jimmy Leeward crash on Friday of last year. It was a very nicely done ceremony, moving, and quite emotional.
As the ceremony began, the announcer pointed out that the American flag on the race course home (finish line) pylon had been flying at half mast since the 2012 race week had begun. They had eleven firefighters, policemen, military servicemen, first responders etc., on the ramp each holding a white helium balloon representing each of the eleven victims. The balloons were individually released into the blue sky as each of the victims names were read. In the clear and bright Reno sky you could watch the balloons rise and fly away literally for miles until they eventually disappeared. There were speeches given, prayers read, and a chorus. There were also folded U.S. flags that were presented to the families of each of the victims at the end of the ceremony. There was an added significance to those flags that were presented that I don't specifically recall, they had actually flown somewhere overseas with an Oregon or Idaho U.S. Air Force wing or something to that effect. They finished the service by fully raising the American flag on the home pylon to signify the return of the Reno National Championship Air Races, and plans for it to continue in the future. As that was going on there was a Missing Man warbird flyover, and an F-15 fly by.
After the memorial ceremony finished the National Anthem was performed by the chorus and the crowd joined in as a skydiver was coming down with a giant Amercian flag and a smoke trail. Pretty common stuff at a lot of airshows or larger race events. What was NOT common about it this time was that the skydiver was an Afghan War Veteran with full prosthetics on both legs that he had lost in the war. I didn't get his name, but Thank You.
Here we go with Sunday...
Topic: RENO 2012-SUNDAY (Read 1922 times)