PENNEY AND THE JETS – AIRRACE21 PILOT HEATHER PENNEY AND THE JET ‘RAJU GRACE’ ARE AMONG THE CAST OF AVIATION ALL-STARS STREAKING THROUGH THE SKIES IN “AIR RACERS 3D”
Opening at select IMAX theaters across the US on Feb. 10, 2012, the 3D IMAX theater feature will put you in the pilot’s seat during the wingtip-to-wingtip competition at the world’s fastest race – the Reno Air Races
San Francisco, CA / June 26, 2011 – Racing pilot Heather Penney and the AirRace21 racing jet, the ‘Raju Grace,’ are among the aviation all-stars appearing in the upcoming IMAX 3D theater film “Air Racers 3D.” Produced by 3D Entertainment USA, a 3D Entertainment Films company, with L.A.-based Pretend Entertainment and Stereoscope, the film is a breathtaking exploration of the planes and personalities competing in the fastest motorsport event on Earth — the Reno National Championship Air Races.
This legendary annual event — the only one of its kind – is like the Indy 500 with planes instead of cars. The stars are the world’s top pilots, including military fighter pilots and Space Shuttle astronauts, racing wingtip-to-wingtip 50 feet above the ground at 500 miles an hour in race-modified jets and WWII-era fighter aircraft around an 8-mile oval course marked by pylons on the ground.
One of the rising stars in this extreme motorsport is Reno, Nevada native Heather Penney, pilot for the AirRace21 team and daughter of legendary air racer John Penney, a four-time Unlimited Gold champion at the Reno Air Races piloting the famed “Rare Bear.” Penney, who shares a birthday – September 18 – with the United States Air Force, is one of only two women ever to compete in the Jet class where she and the Raju Grace finished second in the Jet Silver category during the team’s debut at the 2010 National Championship Air Races.
“My involvement with AirRace21 and flying the Raju Grace in the Reno Air Races last year was both destiny and the fulfillment of my family legacy,” says Penney, mother of two daughters and Director, USAF Air Superiority Programs for LMCO. “When Deane Barker and Raju Mann, the owners of AirRace21 called asked me to become their pilot, it was a dream come true. When I hung up the phone, I began dancing around the kitchen with my two daughters and told them that I was going to race in the Reno Air Races, just like their grandpa.”
While pursuing a Master’s in American Studies, congress rescinded the law prohibiting women from participating in combat operations and Penney immediately began applying to Air National Guard Units around the country with the goal of flying military jets. She was selected by the 121st Fighter Squadron, 113th Wing, DC Air National Guard, to be the first woman in the DC Guard fly the F-16 where, in the fighter pilot tradition, she was given the predictable nickname “Lucky.”
Penney was in the first two-ship airborne over the Pentagon and our nation’s capital in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, escorting the President and Air Force One back to Andrews Air Force Base. Over the next decade, she accumulated over 1,000 hours in the F-16 Viper, including two combat tours in Iraq. Being a single mom, she made the difficult decision to leave the demanding life of a fighter pilot in order to spend more time with her young daughters. Penney now flies the C-38 Astra in the 201st Airlift Squadron as a traditional Air Guardsman; she also works for Lockheed Martin as Director, USAF Air Superiority Systems, focusing on F-22, F-35, and F-35 training matters.
Penney’s unique background is a good match for AirRace21, one of the most unique teams in the sport. Co-owned by Raju Mann, who started life as a foundling on the doorstep of Mother Teresa’s orphanage in India, and former pro athlete/racer/investor Deane Barker, the team’s race jet, the ‘Raju Grace’ is a race-modified Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfín military light attack jet built in Czechoslovakia in the early 1960s and decorated with provocative artwork created by Victor Whitmill, the artist who designed and applied the controversial facial tattoo to former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson. Since the end of the 2010 race, the Raju Grace has been undergoing further modifications, including the installation of a new, more powerful jet engine, in preparation for a move up to the Jet Gold class at the 2011 Reno Air Races (September 14-18).
“Air Racers 3D,” the thrilling new film in which Penney and the Raju Grace – as well as many of the world’s top racing planes and pilots – are starring will take audiences into the sky in 3D and 2D at IMAX® theatres in the US and other select territories beginning February 10, 2012. The film will have its industry premiere during the Giant Screen Cinema Association’s Annual Conference at the Texas State History Museum’s IMAX® 3D Theatre in Austin on September 21. It will benefit from the largest promotional and educational campaigns ever created by 3D Entertainment Distribution, which is responsible for the film’s theatrical marketing and all-media sales worldwide.
“After three years of production that included the filming of the 2009 and 2010 editions of the Reno Air Races, we are very excited to bring this long-awaited action-packed film to aviation enthusiasts and moviegoers around the world,” said executive producers Francois Mantello and John Constantine. “‘Air Racers 3D’ will celebrate the science of flight and capture the thrill and excitement of this major sporting event attended by over 200,000 fans annually.”
The aerial filming unit was run by renowned member of the Motion Picture Pilots Association, helicopter pilot Kevin LaRosa. The film’s aerial director of photography is critically-acclaimed David Nowell (“X-Men: First Class,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”). Currently in post-production in Los Angeles, the film was written by Rick Dowlearn & Christian Fry and features an original soundtrack composed by Christophe Jacquelin. The official website is http://www.AirRacers-theFilm.com.
About 3D Entertainment Distribution
Founded in 2001, 3D Entertainment Distribution is the marketing and theatrical sales arm of 3D Entertainment Films and 3D Entertainment USA. Affiliates of 3D Entertainment Films Holdings, the companies are focused on the production, postproduction, sales and theatrical distribution of innovative 3D films for IMAX® theatres and Digital 3D cinemas worldwide. The company’s new line-up of 3D films includes “Air Racers 3D” (February 2012), “Time: The 4th Dimension” (April 2012) starring Christopher Lloyd and Deep Roy, “Kenya 3D: Animal Kingdom” (February 2013), “Patagonia 3D: Into the Wild” and “Turtles 3D: The Last Dinosaurs.” The Company maintains offices in London (UK), Los Angeles (California) and Paris (France). For more information, please visit http://www.3DEfilms.com. The press contact is Brian McWilliams, +1-213-415-7400, bmcwilliams@spellcom.com.
About the National Championship Air Races
The upcoming 48th annual National Championship Air Races is the premier air racing event in the world. Held every September just north of Reno, the National Championship Air Races have become an institution for northern Nevada and aviation enthusiasts from around the world. In the past ten years, the event has attracted more than 200,000 spectators annually and generated more than $80 million a year for the region’s economy. The event features six racing classes, a large display of static aircraft and several military and civil flight demonstrations. The air races take-off on Wednesday, September 14 through Sunday, September 18, 2011 at the Reno Stead Airfield. For tickets or more information, please visit www.airrace.org or call 775.972.6663.
About AirRace21
AirRace21 is one of the most unique teams currently competing in any form of high-speed motorsports. Co-owned by Raju Mann, who started life as a foundling on the doorstep of Mother Teresa’s orphanage in India, and former pro athlete/racer/investor Deane Barker, AirRace21 competes in the Jet class at the Indy 500 of airplane racing – the legendary Reno Air Races. The AirRace21 race jet, an Aero L-29 Delfín military light attack jet built in Czechoslovakia in the early 1960s, has been race-modified to fly 50 feet above the ground at 500 miles an hour. Now named the Raju Grace and painted a striking shade of orange, the jet is further distinguished by the striking image of co-owner Raju Mann rendered in a stylish composite of ancient Indian and modern tattoo art created by Victor Whitmill, the artist who designed and applied the controversial facial tattoo to former boxing champion Mike Tyson. The Raju Grace is piloted by Heather “Lucky” Penney, the daughter of one of air racing’s most famous pilots and herself a former F-16 fighter pilot for the Air National Guard.
For further information, please visit www.AirRace21.com, or the team’s Facebook page at AirRace21.
AirRace21 Contacts:
Raju Mann / Team Co-owner/ Rajumannward@yahoo.com / 925-528-9279
Dean Barker / Team Co-owner / Deane@AirRace21.com / 415-847-0242
Peter Frey / General Manager / AirRace21GM@aol.com / 818-398-5733
