After a busy start to the 2010 season that has taken Pete and his team to four continents in as many months, Pete has returned to his hometown of Red Lake, Ontario for some well deserved R&R. Following his fifth place finish in New York, Pete returned to London, Ontario for a couple days before making his way north to reconnect with family and friends. 

It hasn’t been all fishing and floatplane flying for McLeod while in Red Lake. Pete had the honour of addressing the graduating class from Red Lake District High School. 

“It was a tremendous honour to be asked to speak at the ceremony. It was only 8 years ago I was graduating from the same high school and heading south to attend the University of Western Ontario. I can honestly say I have more in common with the graduating students than I do with their teachers and parents,” said McLeod following the commencement ceremony. 

A film crew from CTV’s W5 shadowed McLeod as he returned to Red Lake, the footage will air as part of a documentary on Pete later this year. 

Following the graduation ceremony and television interviews, Pete took the opportunity to fly into one of Howey Bay Resort’s outposts, his family’s business where he flew as a young boy, to enjoy the peace and quite of Northern Ontario. 

“It’s remote, there’s no cell service out there, I can’t even sign onto twitter to tweet about all the fish I’m going to catch,” quipped a smiling McLeod before starting up the floatplane to fly north. 

Pete and the team are enjoying a couple weeks of holidays before preparations start for the European leg of the season.

Pete McLeod captured his third 5th place finish of the 2010 season on Sunday afternoon while racing on the Hudson River in New York. McLeod posted a time of 1:12.69 in the Super 8 round and narrowly missed making the Final 4. Pete picks up 7 more world championship points and moves back in to 5th place overall. 

“A solid finish here in New York for me, I’m pumped with the result,” said McLeod from the PMR hangar. “There were a lot of positives for the team and I in New York. I had the best qualifying result of my career along with flying penalty free on race day.” McLeod, who qualified in 3rd place on Saturday easily advanced through the Top 12 round with a time of 1:12.84 behind only Paul Bonhomme and Nigel Lamb. 

“I was ready for the Final 4, just two tenths of a second faster and I would have been in – that’s racing,” added McLeod. Paul Bonhomme was able to end Hannes Arch’s three race winning streak and captured his second victory of the season in the first-ever New York Red Bull Air Race. Nigel Lamb of Great Britain was 2nd and American Kirby Chambliss was 3rd. Arch hit a pylon in the Final 4 and ended up 4th. 

As always there were many interesting story lines throughout the race week. Race officials suspended Matt Hall of Australia for the New York race following their investigation into his incident in Windsor. Yoshi Muroya experienced a propeller strike on a landing during training and was not able to compete. Air Race officials also announced Adilson Kindlemann will not return to the Air Race until the 2011 season. Rookie Martin Sonka finished 11th in New York and picks up his first-ever world championship point. 

The Red Bull Air Race moves on to the European leg of the season with the next race taking place in Lausitz, Germany on August 7/8.

Pete McLeod posted a penalty free time of 1:11.23 in Saturday's qualifying session for the New York race. Pete qualifies in a career best 3rd position behind Hannes Arch and Paul Bonhomme. 

“The race plane is running great, 3rd place in qualifying is a career best for me, I’m really stoked with the result. There is a group of guys within a second so it will be a very interesting day of racing Sunday - anything can happen,” said McLeod as he signed autographs at Linden Airport in New Jersey. 

Pete held the lead during qualifying for part of the first session until Austrian Hannes Arch posted a blistering time of 1:08.18. Reigning world champion Paul Bonhomme posted a time of 1:08.70 and qualified 2nd. 

Racing starts on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. EST.