From her apartment in Lincoln Park, Emily Jones could hear the roaring sound of planes taking off and performing flips on Saturday. Curious, Jones, who just moved to Chicago a week ago, did some online research.
A day later, the 24-year-old ventured to North Avenue Beach with a friend to see the stunts in the Chicago Air and Water Show up close.
“I’ve never been to a show like this before,” Jones said. “So I did just like watching the planes twirl, and seeing the trail behind them too was so cool. The guy who jumped out was so neat.”
People sat under colorful umbrellas on the lakefront beaches at Sunday’s show, lounging on lawn chairs and sipping lots of water as temperatures climbed into the mid-80s with a heat advisory in effect. Organizers estimated that 2 million people watched the 64th iteration of the show, billed as the largest of its kind in the country.
The Saturday and Sunday shows featured performances from the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute team and the U.S. Coast Guard’s search-and-rescue team. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds also returned for the first time in Chicago since 2018. The aircraft take off and land at Gary/Chicago International Airport.
The Coast Guard simulated a rescue operation from its orange MH-65 Dolphin helicopter Sunday afternoon. Spectators watched as the helicopter dropped to about 10 feet above Lake Michigan and a rescue swimmer went into the water. The swimmer placed the dummy into a basket and raised it into the helicopter. The rescue swimmer then went back into the aircraft.
“Almost 90% of the problems you have boating on the waterways in Lake Michigan and the city of Chicago has to do with one of two things,” said Herb Hunter, the show announcer. “Alcohol abuse is one of those problems — boating and drinking can lead to a lot of problems. The other issue is utilizing a boat on the waterways that isn’t properly equipped.”
Hunter, a former military pilot and United Airlines captain, narrated the display from North Avenue Beach.
Besides the Thunderbirds, the Air Force had other performances on Sunday. Using a P-51 Mustang, the heritage flight demo team paid tribute to service members who lost their lives as well as their families. The C-17 Globemaster III demo team showed off the aircraft’s short runway capability and its ability to travel at slow speeds.
“Each engine carries over 40,000 pounds of thrust,” Hunter said. “Globemaster III can carry over 170,000 pounds of cargo.”
Another crowd favorite on Sunday was civilian performer Bill Stein. From his single-seat airplane, designed specifically for him, Stein carried off a series of curls, dives and inversions. He called some of his maneuvers “shark’s tooth,” “centrifuge” and “chameleon roll.”
One of the people impressed by his performance was Meghann Andrew, 40, of Orland Park. Andrew said she moved to the Chicago area at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and missed out on a lot of events. She thought it sounded like fun, and her kids wanted to see the planes in action, so she packed a picnic and drove out to the beach.
Andrew’s daughter, Elizabeth, took lots of videos and pictures during Stein’s performance. She said it was “so cool,” but wondered what would happen if he crashed.
Andrew said she plans on coming back in the future but recommends coming prepared with a tent and chairs to block the sun.
