Chicago Weekend Fun!

The Chicago Air and Water Show is tomorrow (August 18-19) downtown. I work in a building near the lakefront so there have been airplanes flying by all morning. It is a little different to hear jets and planes flying right by your building and everyone popping up from their cubicle to see.

The Chicago Air and Water Show has been a tradition (scheduled every August) since 1958 in Chicago. They feature a wide array of airplanes and boats in this event. I think the air show is the better half though, and everyone can see it better than you can see the stuff on the water. The Chicago Air and Water Show is put together by the Mayor’s office of Special Events and is a great gift to Chicago every summer.

If you go be prepared for crowds. Don’t drive, take public transportation downtown and walk or take a cab to the lakefront. You will never find parking, and who wants to pay $25.00 to park anyway? The best place to view the show is from the beach, or up in the high rise buildings that border the lake. This is an event that is free to the public, so no admission is charged, you just find a good spot to watch and picnic there. Over 2.2 Million people watched the show in 2005 and it grows every year. I would guess that by 2007 and 2008 it might be near 2.5 Million Chicagoans.

Some of the teams featured in the air show are, The Air Force precision flying team the Thunderbirds, Vintage WWII warbird team Lima Lima, and the Red Barron Squadron Flying Team. They also feature demonstrations by Boeing (a sponsor) and the US Air Force. I have seen a YF-22 trying to rip it’s wings off by turning corners so fast this morning by my building while practicing his air show routine twice. That airplane covers so much distance so fast, that you turn around and it’s gone. I can’t imagine how fast it is when it’s supersonic over Mach 1! They have to keep speed limits down here so they don’t break all the glass in the high rise buildings here. Plus flying faster than the speed of sound is illegal over land in the US.

Here is the full lineup schedule for 2007. I would expect most performers would return in 2008 and 2009.

The 2008 Chicago Air and Water Show is scheduled for August 16-17th.

August 18-19, 2007

AIR SHOW HEADLINERS
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds (F-16s)
U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team

CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT
Aeroshell Aerobatic Flying Team
Chicago Fire Department Air/Sea Rescue Team
Lima Lima (from Naperville)
Red Baron Squadron (yay Pizza)
Sean D. Tucker & Team Oracle Aerobatic Flying
The Firebirds

MILITARY AIRCRAFT
Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt
Air Force  B-1 Lancer Bomber
Air Force  B-52 Stratofortess (an enormous plane)
Air Force  C-130 Hercules
Air Force  F-117A Nighthawk
Air Force  F-15E Strike Eagle Demonstration
Air Force  F-16 Fighting Falcon & KC-135 Stratotanker Aerial Refueling
Air Force  KC-10 Extebder
Air Force  T-37 Tweet Demonstration
Air Force  T-38 Talon Demonstration
Coast Guard Air/Sea Rescue
Army UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter
Air Force  Reserve ParaRescue Wing
Air Force  Stealth Y-F/A-22 Raptor-Demo
Navy F-18 Capabilities Demonstration (awesome)

The announcer for the show is Herb Hunter

Have a great summer, and enjoy the Chicago Air and Water show this weekend August 18th and 19th 2007. Happy Flying!