MONTREAL – Bombardier Aerospace today announced that its Learjet 45 XR demonstrator aircraft is the official pace plane for the 47th annual National Championship Air Races, which are taking place from September 15 to 19 in Reno, Nevada.

“This is a Learjet pilot’s dream come true,” said Rick Rowe, Chief Pilot, Learjet Flight Operations, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “The Learjet name is synonymous with speed and performance, so setting the pace at an event like Reno really reinforces that image. The Learjet 45 XR provides the perfect combination of speed and stability to support the races in this very critical role.”

The role of the pace plane is to lead a formation of race aircraft to the start line. The pace aircraft must be stable and very maneuverable at both low and high speeds to give each racer an equal entry onto the race course at the start. The pace aircraft must take off and fly slowly (160kts) so that as many as eight race aircraft have time to depart from the airport and join the formation. The aircraft must then accelerate to near race speeds (>300kts) in limited airspace and time to bring the formation to the start line.

The National Championship Air Races, first held in Reno in 1964, bring together thousands of aviation and sports enthusiasts from around the world. Race and Airshow participants include astronauts, airline pilots, military and civilian aviators.