Steve Hinton

Last updated
Steve Hinton
Steve Hinton.jpg
Hinton in 2013
Born1 April 1952
Known forAir Racing
Spouse
Karen Hinton (née Maloney)
(m. 1980)
[1]

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. [2] He won four consecutive Unlimited races in one year. [3]

Contents

Biography

On August 14, 1979, Hinton set the piston-driven aircraft 3-kilometer world speed record at 499.018 mph [4] [5] in the highly-modified RB51 Red Baron at Tonopah, Nevada, making Hinton, age 27, the youngest person ever to capture the speed record. [6]

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. [7] [8]

By 1983, Hinton had established his own aircraft restoration shop, called Fighter Rebuilders. [9]

Hinton became the chief test pilot for the Tsunami Racer in 1987. [10]

Some of Hinton's notable wins in air racing include:

Hinton retired from racing in 1990 to become a stunt aviator, demonstration pilot and aircraft restorer. Steve has restored and rebuilt more than 40 vintage aircraft, and since 1994 has been the President of Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California. [11] [12]

Film and demonstration aviation

Hinton is a member of the Screen Actors Guild [13] and charter member of the Motion Picture Pilots Association. [14] He has worked on more than 60 films. [15]

In 2002, he received a nomination from the World Stunt Awards for the Taurus Award, Best Aerial Work in Pearl Harbor. In 2018, he was part of the team which won the Taurus Stunt Award for Best Specialty Stunt for work on Dunkirk. The award was shared with Dan Friedkin, Craig Hosking, John Romain and Ed Shipley. [16] [17]

As a demonstration and heritage flight pilot, Hinton participated in a five plane formation flyover at Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force. Hinton piloted “Wee Willy II”, his rebuilt P-51 Mustang formerly known as Red Baron . [18]

Personal life

In 1980, Hinton married Karen Maloney. Karen is the daughter of Steve's friend, American aviation legendary historian Ed Maloney. [1] [ failed verification ] Steven's son, Steven Hinton Jr., is also an aviator and air racer. [19] Steven Hinton Jr. became the youngest pilot to win Unlimited Gold at Reno at age 22 in 2009. [20] [21]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Lumsden, Marshall (March 2008). "Ed Maloney's Mission". Air & Space Magazine. Smithsonian Institution. p. 3. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  2. "Steve Hinton". Air Combat Command. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  3. "Dago Red". MustangsMustangs. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  4. "How Modified is Too Modified?". Chicago Tribune. 19 December 1999. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  5. Ornelas, Steve (2008). "Number 5, The Red Baron". Aviation and Space Arts.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  6. Law, Pete. "Red Baron, Part 4". Aircraft Engine Historical Society. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  7. "Scorecard". SI Vault. 29 October 1979. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  8. Godfrey, Joe (16 May 2001). "Steve Hinton". AVWeb. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  9. "Chino Test Pilot Killed in Arizona Crash". The Sun. 24 May 1983. p. B-5. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  10. Gene Smith (September 1987). "Racer! The Ultimate Homebuit and Its Unique Pilot". Air Progress.
  11. "Meet the Pilot: Steve Hinton". Air Force Heritage Flight Team. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  12. "Hinton Heads Air Museum". Champion. 6 May 1994. p. A-11. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  13. "Steve Hinton". Aerial Cinematography. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  14. "Steve Hinton". Motion Picture Pilots Association. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  15. "Steve Hinton". IMDb. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  16. "Steve Hinton - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  17. "Dunkirk". Taurus World Stunt Awards. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  18. Lloyd, Jonathan (1 February 2024). "What to Know About the Rare Five-Plane Super Bowl Flyover". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  19. "EAA's The Green Dot – Legendary Aviators Steve and Steven Hinton". EAA. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  20. "Reno Air Races Pilot Steven Hinton with fans". National Air and Space Museum. Smithsonian Institution. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  21. Morrison, Maria. "Five Time Air Race Champion Shares About His Life". Aero-News Network. Retrieved 4 August 2025.