In September 2010, the high desert skies over Nevada once again became the stage for one of aviation’s most demanding competitions—the 47th Annual National Championship Air Races and Air Show at Reno–Stead Airport. Among the most anticipated events was the Super Sport Gold Medal Race, where speed, precision, and nerve are tested at unforgivingly low altitudes.
It was during this race that pilot George Giboney experienced a life-threatening accident—one he would ultimately survive.
The Aircraft: “Rapid Travel”
Giboney was flying his Thunder Mustang, race number and callsign Rapid Travel. The Thunder Mustang is an experimental, high-performance aircraft inspired by the legendary P-51 Mustang, designed to deliver extreme speed and agility in the Super Sport class.
Though smaller than its World War II predecessor, the Thunder Mustang is no less demanding. At Reno, these aircraft operate at the edge of their performance envelopes, where control margins are minimal and reaction times are measured in fractions of a second.
Cause of the Accident
The pilot reported that he was flying as one of a group of seven airplanes in an air race, and, during lap four, the engine lost all power. The pilot increased altitude to 2,000 feet above ground level and entered the landing pattern but had to extend his downwind to avoid traffic still on the race course. The wind took him further away from the runway than he intended so that when he turned toward the runway, he could not complete the turn to the runway heading, and intercepted the runway on a 50-degree angle at an intersection with another runway. The airplane rolled across the intersection, onto a taxiway, and continued onto a dirt ramp before cartwheeling and coming to rest in the dirt about halfway between the taxiway and the runway. Postaccident examination of the engine found that a connecting rod bearing and two connecting rods in the engine fractured and separated, which resulted in the loss of engine power.
Probable Cause: Failure of a connecting rod bearing and two connecting rods, which resulted in a loss of engine power while maneuvering at low altitude.
A Stark Reminder of Reno’s Risks
Although the outcome was not fatal, the crash of Rapid Travel served as a powerful reminder of the dangers inherent in competitive air racing. The Reno Air Races demand absolute precision; there is no margin for error when aircraft are pushed to their limits so close to the ground.
Giboney’s survival was due to rapid emergency response, safety protocols, and sheer luck—factors that do not always align in this unforgiving sport.
Survival and Legacy
George Giboney’s crash in 2010 became one of the most dramatic moments of that year’s National Championship Air Races—not because of loss of life, but because of survival. His accident underscored both the peril and resilience found at Reno, where pilots willingly test the boundary between control and chaos.
In the history of air racing, Rapid Travel’s crash stands as a sobering example of how quickly circumstances can change—and how, sometimes, a pilot lives to fly another day.