Rick (or Grease, whatever persona you are currently using),

Last year (38th Annual) was the first year for Jets - Its just that the NSA
wouldn't let them fly after 911 -- not even on an IFR flight plan, Stead to
Stead, High speed hold at fifty feet above the ground.

How do I know?  I was there!  Arnie (360) and I (320) flew into Truckee on
9/10 - You can tie down by the EAA Hangar and also attend their Fri night
Spagetti dinner, Sat/Sun Flyin.  Last year, Arnie and I were two-thirds of
their flyin group - the other was a Canadian Glasair (It may still be there).

Truckee is about 45 minutes from Reno (by car, stay at the Race Hotel/Casino
with the "aviation" theme bar) and another 15 or so to Stead - get reserved
parking.

Generally, flying from Chicago area, one might go thru Rapid City, fly by Mt.
Rushmore, then to Ogden, UT and fly by all the restricted areas on your way
to Reno  This minimizes the tough mountains.  You could go a week or two
earlier and make it out to Redmond, OR for the Lancair Labor Day Fly-in
(don't forget to fly around Mt. Hood).  Maybe you could visit all your
relatives that moved to the West Coast.

Anyway, Arnie and I were lucky to be trapped in Reno with five full week pit
passes, reserved seats and no friends, or my wife, who were to fly out
commercially on Wenesday.  We were able to buy unique Reno Race memorbilia
since so few people were there.

We were able to leave Truckee on Saturday - IFR, one at a time, and caught up
with bad weather outside of Ogden.  Ah, but that whole Reno trip is a real
story - full of lessons learned from airrors and horrors.

Maybe you want to put together a x-country race?  Maybe you want to fly in
formation with faster Lancairs?

Grayhawk