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"  Overlay of the smaller Galloping Ghost on the original size of the P-51. (Original size seen in red.) Credit: NTSB More than six months have passed since the horrific crash of September 2011 at the Reno Air Races, in which pilot Jimmy Leeward&amp;#039;s modified P-51 lost control and dove into the stands, killing 11 and injuring more than 70. In the intervening months the National Transportation Safety Board has been studying what went wrong, trying to make America&amp;#039;s biggest air races safer. This week NTSB announced its recommendations. They include changes such as doubling the spectator buffer from 500 to 1000 feet, making sure fuel trucks move away from the course during the race, and changing the course layout to put fans at a lower risk of being involved in an accident. The board also noted that Leeward had never flown his souped-up P-51, the Galloping Ghost, over the Reno course at racing speeds anytime before the race itself. Thus, NTSB will recommend that &amp;quot;pilots and their modified airplanes are put through their paces prior to race day,&amp;quot; Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said in a release. These are recommendations, not binding rules. The AP reports that race organizers will try to comply, but don&amp;#039;t have much time; just nine weeks remain before the next scheduled air race at Reno. This gathering won&amp;#039;t include the huge number of fans who gather for the fall National Championship Air Races, but it will be the first time that the pilots fly the course under the new rules adapted from NTSB&amp;#039;s recommendations. Even with new provisions, the fact is that air racing is risky. Although no previous accident at Reno had killed spectators before last September&amp;#039;s disaster, Leeward was the 20th pilot to die at Reno in the event&amp;#039;s 47 years. For more on the dangerous legacy of the races, read PM contributor Jeff Wise&amp;#039;s piece. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a7542/half-a-year-after-reno-feds-offer-new-safety-recommendations-for-air-racing-8039157/>