The first time I saw these jets they were in a hangar at an airport.  And if their owners don't mind, I'll be able to update this page with which hangar at what airport.  I'll track them down and hopefully get the ok for that, and get additional team info.  Anyway, the planes had only recently been taken off the boat after the long voyage from [I don't remember where but stand by, it'll come to me] and they looked, umm... tired. 

The hangar was orderly but crowded.  There were the two airframes seen above, plus an extra one or two which ended up as a static version and spare parts.  The static airframe is mounted on a bright red trailer which is parked on the ramp by day, and in a courtyard in downtown Reno by night during race week.

During my first visit with the soon-to-be Stoli MiGs, the lone occupant in the hangar gave us a guided tour of the digs.  He showed us the armament which had arrived in crates - in perfect working order!  Soon after the new owners first opened the gun crates, they placed a call to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for some advice.  That phone call brought agents with blow torches to render the guns inoperative.  Those same guns are mounted on the aircraft today but are now disabled.

After more than 4,000 man-hours of restoration work, this refreshed pair showed up on the air show circuit looking handsome and flying beautifully.   Fast and nimble, the Stoli MiGs are awesome to watch.  And their pilots, career flyers for United Air Lines, take full advantage of the MiG's many talents.  

Pilots:    
     Randy Howell and Jerry Gallud

Sponsor:    
     Stolichnaya Vodka

Max Speed:    
     711 mph

Weight:    
     Less than 4.5 tons

Thrust: 
     Nearly 4 tons

Thirst: 
     350 gallons every 30 minutes

A first for the Reno Air Races, jet aircraft took to the Unlimited course in 2000 for an unoffical heat race.  The race was pretty tight, until those with afterburners decided to abandon the agreed-to prohibition on open flame and lit their tales.  The result of this behavior was amazing.  One by one, the afterburning jets quickly put the non-burner equiped planes at the back of the pack for good.  After realizing that the Stoli MiGs and others had ignored the rules, Steve Hinton pulled his T-33 up and off the course.

The photo at right shows one of the Stoli Migs and an Aero L-39 Aobatros from the Czech Republic pass the home pilon during their unofficial race.

Click To Go To...

The Trip     Riff Raff     T-6 Texans     Yaks

Sea Furys     Dago Red     Miss Merced     Critical Mass

Risky Business     Mustangs     Furias     September Pops

Pace Planes     Static & Others     Blue Angels

Site Information     Home