WHEN JOSH WATSON is not running the AeroDynamic Aviation flight school in San Jose, California, he races airplanes. The son of a pilot, Watson claimed the 2023 National Championship Air Races F1 division gold medal in just his second season.
I remember going to the Reno Air Races when I was a kid. I grew up just about 60 miles away in a little desert town in California.
My dad’s a pilot. So we were always interested in aviation.
I ended up changing careers and buying a flight school. My wife and I own and operate it. I fly my airplane to work and fly home.
My first year, I raced an airplane that I put together. It was a vintage racer that I was able to resurrect. Then my second year, I acquired a new airplane with the goal of winning the gold.
It’s a family affair. My wife races as well, and then my kids work on the crew. We’ll have three generations out there for this year’s race. Grandma and Grandpa too.
We’re flying in really close quarters, really close to ground, and really fast. My airplane does about 250 miles an hour, so it’s very exciting.
You have to keep track of where all the other pilots are and focus on flying your airplane as fast and smooth as possible to get around the racecourse safely and as fast you can.
It really is an art form. It’s something that you are constantly refining and fine-tuning and making yourself better. I would equate it to a painter who dedicates their life to painting the perfect picture.