Fernando Soto in 1970 atop his Honduran Corsair, with symbols marking his victories. The aircraft is now in the Honduras air museum, which keeps it in running (but not flying) condition.

The roar and concussion were startling. Clocked at 554.69 mph, the ultra-modified P-51 racer Voodoo shot by and was gone. Its first pass over the three-kilometer straightaway took 12 seconds.

Along with market developments for piston-engine airplanes, we are also closely watching the slowly increasing availability of unleaded avgas. The benefits should affect aircraft owners in terms ...