HIGH PERFORANCE AIRCRAFT RACING

High Performance Aircraft Racing has an illustrious reputation of speed, adrenaline, and success in the world of aircraft racing. Alongside our first-class mechanics and support team, our chief pilot, Pete Zaccagnino, has won four total Gold Medals in the National Championship air races in Reno, Nevada. Pete’s first championship came in 2007, when he beat the competition to become the Gold Champion in the Sport Class. The next three Gold Medals were won in Jet Class, including the 2019 Jet Gold Champion, 2015 Jet Gold Champion, and 2013 Jet Gold Champion at 509 mph and the fastest qualifying lap at 529 mph.

PETE ZACCAGNINO

Pete Zaccagnino is a former professor of Aerodynamics, Meteorology, and History. He has given over 100 training seminars on a variety of topics, and has been a guest speaker at aviation peer groups and universities worldwide, including Air Venture. Pete has flown over 23,000 hours in more than 270 aircraft types and flight tested over 685 aircraft in his distinguished career. Pete’s sixteen years of racing at Reno have included five championships, including the 2019 Jet Gold Champion, 2015 Jet Gold Champion, 2013 Jet Gold Champion at 509 mph and the fastest qualifying lap at 529 mph, and 2007 Gold Champion in the Sport Class.

HIGH PERFORMANCE AIR RACING MEDALS

2007

Sport Class

2013

Jet Class

2015

Jet Class

2019

Jet Class

2019

Aviation
Hall of Fame

Partners

Hartzell propellers, Lance Aircraft, Evolution Aircraft, Boeing, Discovery Channel, Desser Aerospace, Barrett Engines. The historic successes of High Performance Aircraft Racing would not have been possible without the support of our outstanding partners. Air racing is a costly sport, and it requires the highest quality of parts and support to be successful. We sincerely appreciate our partners, and recommend their incredible expertise to anyone in need of their services. Interested in becoming a partner with High Performance Aircraft Racing? Reach out to us to learn more about our partnership programs and how our organizations can work together to reach new heights!

Frequently Asked Questions

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How many pilots show up to race in Reno each year?

Over 100 pilots content in Reno each year in a variety of classes, with a maximum of 24 pilots per class

How low over the ground do the pilots fly?

Typically, pilots fly no more than 250ft off the ground, with a lower limit of just 50ft above the desert floor

How long is the course?

The Jet Class course is the largest course at approximately 8.1 miles in circumference, while the Sport Class course is approximately 6.9 miles around

How many aircraft race at a time?

Eight aircraft and their pilots content against each other one each race, and extreme precision and training is required by each pilot to get around the course quickly and without catastrophic incident

Just how fast are these planes going, exactly?

Sport Class planes consistently perform at speeds of 300+ mph, while Jet Class makes it around the course in excess of 500mph on average