[Editor’s note: A couple of weeks ago, one of our readers kindly submitted several articles detailing his experience at the Roswell Air Races earlier this month. The following is a rebuttal from another reader, Gary Grosh, who was also in attendance, but who had a different experience of the races.]
For the past twenty-five years I’ve attended the Reno Air Races. I’m neither a pilot nor an aviation professional; just an aviation groupie who needed the sheer thrill of being among powerful aircraft, admiring them in the air and on the ground. Change happens, and the announcement that Reno had lost the races to progress was pure heartbreak.
Having purchased a snowbird residence in New Mexico this past year, you can only imagine my excitement when I heard about Roswell. Long journeys ended; the races were now only a short drive away.
I began checking online for postings about Roswell – exact dates, airport location, parking, etc., but useful detail could rarely be found. Perhaps the information came available at some later date, but I began locking in arrangements by mid-July.
I attended the Roswell Air Races on the second day of the event. Upon arrival, my expectations began to unravel. The route to the airfield from the state highway was unmarked, parking was confusing, and the main gate was difficult to locate. Finally, my entry into the arena was delayed by a long line at the general admission ticket window. It wasn’t moving – one clerk.
Once inside, I chose to use my Pit Pass before settling in for the races. My searching became an aimless and difficult hike within the perimeter and I ran out of patience looking for the pits. Where were all the crews and displays?
Once I arrived at the race viewing areas, I discovered my general admission pass didn’t entitle me to seating in the (mostly empty) stands. I was expected to provide my own chair. Finally, after a couple of racing categories had completed, I found a seating alternative and settled in to enjoy the remainder of the show.
Then it happened; my show excitement fell into a stall and headed for a tailspin. Race officials had decided primetime mid-day would be the right time to present the colors, complete with choraleers to perform the National Anthem. Imagine lighting the Olympic flame a week into the games, or the Anthem being performed at halftime instead of at the start of a game.
Next up was the final straw. It was the STOL Drags that seemed to never end. What happened to the Lancairs? Where were the exotic racing classes? What – no Unlimited’s? And then it all made sense: The pits were empty because several beloved entries were no-shows.
The message I share is offered on the behalf of myself, and a small sample of fans I met from as far away as Great Britain, Canada, the East Coast and West Coast. The Reno-typical international racing spectacle was not to happen in Roswell.
I cannot fault the dreamers who wanted to reboot the national races. But when the organizers began to realize they would have to invent hours of filler to replace prized racing events, it was time to cancel and begin plans for 2026. At least a few of us would have been so grateful.
GARY GROSH
Salem, Oregon
How exciting to see the first National Championship Air Races at Roswell, NM. I’m an old working stiff with an airplane habit who never made it to the Reno Air Races, but will definitely attend next year at Roswell. I’m sorry that Gary’s experience was disappointing, but I hope to meet him there next year.
Hey Gary, I too was a long time attendee of the Reno Air Races. It was always that if you wanted a chair you had to bring it yourself. The opening ceremonies were always took place at around 10:00 after the Formula Ones and Biplanes raced. They had to get those races in before the winds picked up. Same with Roswell. You are right that signage for parking could have been better. For the first year and the short amount of time they had to put this event together RARA, the City of Roswell, and all the volunteers did a fantastic job.
I understand Gary’s point of view. I think most of us did enough research to know the unlimiteds (I never expected them to show up) and the sport class weren’t going to be there, so most weren’t surprised. They’ve always had the opening ceremony late morning. The pits were definitely sparse but I’m hoping a lot of people were holding out to see how year one went. I really think it was a great event and I’m looking forward to next year. The town is great and I enjoyed much more than Reno (I’m a country boy). With today’s technology I found no problems with driving in and finding parking!
There is a lot of learning ahead for the folks that run the races and the locals who expected to benefit. I booked an Airbnb as soon as the Roswell races were announced. At ~$300/night, I thought it was pricy but worth it. As the race date neared, my reservation was abruptly cancelled, then the host sent a note that the room was available at $1,500/night. Well, I declined and started looking for alternatives. When the Unlimiteds dropped out, I dropped my plans. Based on what I’ve read, that was a good move for me.