Air Race Champ, Speed Record Holder, and Jack-of-All-Trades Aviator Joins the Roster for 2022

The newest pilot to join the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation for their 2022 season has been introduced, and prior to taking to the skies he took a bit to interview with the team. 

Hinton, in a classic example proving aviation runs in the family, is son of recent Super Bowl flyover pilot Steve Hinton Senior, himself a longtime staple of the Heritage Flight program for more than a quarter century. The younger Hinton is a 7-time Reno Air Race Gold Champion, taking consecutive winds in the unlimited class from 2009 to 2014, then once again in 2016. Right now, he's the World Speed Record holder for Piston Powered Aircraft over 3km, achieving a top speed of 531 miles per hour. Not content to leave the record where it lay, Hinton has plans in the works for another go at the speed record once again. 

Hinton has accumulated an impressive litany of aircraft ratings and authorizations throughout his career, a pilot of a range of single and multi aircraft. Some of the standouts include the P-51, P-40, P-47, F6F, F8F, F4U, ME-109, Yak 3, Yak 9, Yak 11, and the Spitfire. Over his career so far, Hinton has picked up more than 2,000 hours in total flight time, with 810 of those hours flown in a vintage P-51 Mustang. Hinton also holds an Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) License and Inspection Authorization License. Steven currently serves as a board member for the Planes of Fame Museum, and he is part-owner of Fighter Rebuilders located in Chino, California. The rest of this year's schedule has not yet been released, but an average of 50-70 shows are put on every year, leaving plenty of opportunities along the regular schedule. 

FMI: www.airforceheritageflight.org