Steve Hinton
Steve Hinton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1 April 1952 |
| Known for | Air Racing |
| Spouse |
Karen Hinton (née Maloney)
(m. 1980) |
| Children | Steven Hinton Jr.[3] |
Steve Hinton is an American aviator who held a world speed record from 1979 to 1989 and won six Unlimited-class air races, including two national championships.[4] He won four consecutive Unlimited races in one year, and remains the only pilot ever to do so.[5] He retired from racing in 1990. His son, Steven Hinton Jr., became the youngest pilot to win the Reno Air Races Unlimited-class championship in 2009 at the age of 22.[6] Steve is the president of Planes of Fame Air Museum with locations in Chino, California and Valle-Grand Canyon, Arizona,[7] and owner of Fighter Rebuilders, a military aircraft restoration company.[8]
On August 14, 1979, Hinton set the piston-driven aircraft 3-kilometer world speed record at 499.018 mph[9][10] in the highly-modified RB51 Red Baron at Tonopah, Nevada, making Hinton, age 27, the youngest person ever to capture the speed record.[11]
On September 16, 1979, Hinton was racing the RB-51 in Reno when the plane suffered catastrophic engine failure. Hinton finished the race in second place, but crashed short of the runway. Although the plane's fuel erupted in a fireball, the cockpit was thrown away from the fire and Hinton survived with a broken back, leg, and ankle.[12][13]
In 1980, Hinton married Karen Maloney. Karen is the daughter of Steve's friend, air racing legend Ed Maloney.[1][2]
Hinton became the chief test pilot for the Tsunami Racer in 1987.[14]
Some of Hinton's notable wins in air racing include:
- 1978, Mojave, Red Baron
- 1978, Reno (Unlimited National Champion), Red Baron
- 1979, Miami, Red Baron
- 1979, Mojave, Red Baron
- 1985, Reno (Unlimited National Champion), Super Corsair
- 1990, Sherman, Texas, Tsunami
Hinton is a member of the Screen Actors Guild[15] and charter member of the Motion Picture Pilots Association.[16] He has worked on more than 60 films. In 2002 he received a nomination from the World Stunt Awards for the Taurus Award, Best Aerial Work in Pearl Harbor.[17]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Steve Hinton". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
- ^ a b Lumsden, Marshall (March 2008). "Ed Maloney's Mission". Air & Space Magazine. Smithsonian Institution. p. 3. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
- ^ "The Rising Star of Steven Hilton Speed Racer". Sport Aviation. May 2012.
- ^ [1] acc.af.mil. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^ [2] mustangsmustangs.us. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^ [3] Hertfordshire Mercury. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^ [4] planesoffame.org. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ [5] warbirdaeropress.com. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ [6] Chicago Tribune, 19 Dec 1999.
- ^ [7] aviationandspacearts.com. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ [8] enginehistory.org Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^ [9] Sports Illustrated, 29 Oct 1979.
- ^ [10] avweb.com Retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^ Gene Smith (September 1987). "Racer! the ultimate homebuit and its unique pilot". Air Progress.
- ^ [11] aerialcinematography.com Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ [12] moviepilots.com Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ [13] imdb.com Retrieved 12 July 2011.
