RAPID CITY - In his day job, Air Force Maj. Doug Bodine pilots a B-1B Lancer bomber based at Ellsworth Air Force Base. During his free time, he pilots a Formula One race plane - a speedy little piston-powered rocket named Yellow Peril.

"I love flying, no matter when, why or how," he said.

Bodine, 41, is originally from Ennis, Mont. He has been a pilot for 22 years and in the Air Force for 19 years.

In September, Bodine raced in the 44th Annual National Championship Air Races & Air Show at Reno, Nev. In his Formula One class, he won the Silver Division race.

On the ground, Bodine's airplane looks incredibly small. It's only 14 feet long. From wingtip to wingtip, it measures 22 feet. Bodine is not a big guy, but he must squeeze into the tiny cockpit.

What isn't small is the engine; it accounts for half of the plane's 580-pound overall weight. It's powered by a 100-horsepower engine used in a much larger Cessna 150. The fastest Formula One can do a 250 mph lap on Reno's 3.2-mile race course.

Bodine bought Yellow Peril three years ago. The model had been shunned by other racers, in part because of known problems with the engine - not something you want to contend with at 300 mph.

The engine sometimes suffered oil pressure problems, forcing pilots to glide into a "dead-stick" landing. "I had a couple of scary flights," he said matter-of-factly.

But working with a friend who is an aeronautical engineer, Bodine managed to identify and correct the problem with the oil pumping and drainage system. "It flies beautifully now," he said.

At the Reno Air Race, there are six classes of airplanes: Biplanes, Formula One, the Sport Class, the T-6 Class, the Jet Class and the Unlimited Class - which reaches speeds of up to 500 mph.

In Bodine's class, Formula One, all aircraft are powered by a Continental O-200 piston engine. The fastest Formula One can do a 250 mph lap on Reno's 3.2-mile race course.

Air racing is indeed a wild ride. Formula One planes can reach speeds of up to 300 mph on the straightaway, Bodine said. In the turns, the plane's wings are nearly perpendicular to the ground, and the pilots can sometimes experience a g-force of 8 g - eight times normal body weight.

The Formula One racecourse is an oval "track" marked by seven tall pylons. And it's not a race against the clock - pilots actually race against each other. The race starts on the ground; planes take off two-by-two and race as many as eight laps around the course.

A typical Formula One race lasts five to eight minutes, depending on the number of laps in the race and the speed of the aircraft. Unlike car racing, however, you can only pass on the outside.

This year's Reno Air Races were marred by two deaths, including an accident between two Formula One racers that killed Gary Hubler from Caldwell, Idaho.

The other pilot crashed as well, but his injuries were not life-threatening.

Bodine described Hubler as a good friend and mentor in the sport of air racing. He said the whole air racing community, a tight-knit group, was stunned by this year's deaths.

Although there was serious talk about canceling the races altogether, he said, organizers decided to continue. Some pilots did drop out, and Bodine seriously considered it.

"I talked with Gary's family. They felt he'd be terribly disappointed if we didn't go on," he said.

Despite the deaths, Bodine believes that the margin of safety in air racing is probably greater than in motorcycling or other motor sports. Air racing is tightly regulated.

Worldwide, there are only 275 certified race pilots. They must be Federal Aviation Administration medically rated. They must pass a special pilot safety school; and not everyone passes. They also must go through check rides, the airborne equivalent of the final test. In addition, the aircraft must pass qualifying inspection.

"And if you don't fear for your safety, you shouldn't be in racing," he said.

Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com