The 2013 Chicago Air and Water Show - Still Successful

By Larry E. Nazimek

Action took place both on the water and in the skies along the Chicago lakefront. (Geico Skytypers)Practically all the articles about this year’s airshows focus on the effects of the sequester that keeps military aircraft from performing. Many airshows were cancelled, and if you googled “Chicago Air and Water Show,” prior to the show, as you were typing in the letters, among the various options in the drop box were “Cancelled.” Suggestions that the show would be cancelled, however, were about as factual as the emails you get from the foreign princes who want to come to the U.S. and split their fortunes with you.

According to Mary May, Public Relations Coordinator of Chicago’s Dept. of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, cancellation was never considered. “We’ve been doing this since 1959, and we’re not about to quit now. The show must go on!” And so it did.

This airshow is different from many, in that it is not performed at a venue. For this show, many spectators bring their blankets and lawnchairs to watch from all along Chicago’s lakefront. (City of Chicago)Tribute was paid to the show’s founder, Al Benedict, a Chicago Park District Supervisor, who died in the past year. The show was originally part of a “Family Day” celebration for children in the Park District’s day camp program. The show’s budget was $88, and it featured a USCG air sea rescue demonstration, water skiers, a water ballet, games, and a diving competition. The following year, the Thunderbirds and Golden Knights were added, and so began the annual tradition. (I recall watching the Thunderbirds flying the F-100 Super Sabre many years ago.)

It is a tradition for the show to begin with paratroopers coming down with our Flag as the National Anthem is sung. Saturday’s show (the show ran on Saturday and Sunday – Aug. 17 and 18 – with a practice on Friday) began with a tandem jump, where the “passenger,” wearing a red Chicago Blackhawks jersey, was Jim Cornelison, the Blackhawks’ full-time national anthem singer since 1996. After landing, Cornelison, famous throughout North America since the Blackhawks won this year’s Stanley Cup, sang the National Anthem as only he can.

The skydiving exhibition was provided by the All Veteran Parachute Team (www.allveteranparachuteteam.com), representing all branches of our armed forces, jumping from a King Air. The jumpers carried banners of the various sponsors, a clear sign of the importance of sponsorship to this airshow.

While the military aircraft and parachute teams did not participate, several new acts were added. Among them were the Aerostars Team Aeroshell (City of Chicago)(www.teamaerostars.com, In Flight USA, Oct. 2012, p. 10), flying three YAK-52 TWs. Although these tail draggers, with their radial engines, sliding canopies, and paint jobs, look like they are from the Second World War, the oldest of the three is only 11-years old.

When asked how it felt to be “stepping in” (i. e., for the Thunderbirds and other military acts), the Aerostars’ pilot, David Monroe, stated that, “It’s not so much ‘stepping in.’ We fly the majority of our shows with the Thunderbirds and “Blues” (Blue Angels), and being that they’re not here – it’s kind of sad that they’re not here – but the fact is that we’re here, and we’re going to provide a great show for the community of Chicago, and we’re a local act, so we’re really happy to be here.”

Larry E. Nazimek flies with the Geico team. (Larry E. Nazimek)Another addition to this year’s show was the GEICO Skytypers (www.geicoskytypers.com), flying six SNJ-2s. The first part of their show consisted of their skytyping messages, while other acts took place much lower. They later performed their precision formation aerobatic show in front of the enthusiastic crowd.
Budweiser’s new Designate A Driver blimp (www.budblimp.com) turned heads as it flew down the lakefront.
Of course, jets were a part of the show. These included a British Sea Harrier (www.nallsaviation.com), the only fixed-wing fighter available to the British Task Force in the Falklands War, provided by Nalls Aviation. An A-4B Skyhawk from the Warbird Heritage Foundation (www.warbirdheritagefoundation.org) demonstrated the plane’s capabilities. The Blue Angels flew Skyhawks from 1974 to 1986, so this was not the first showing of a Skyhawk at this airshow. For those who wanted to see heavy jets, American Airlines provided a Boeing 737-800.

Returning this year were the AeroShell Aerobatic Team (AT-6 Texans, (www.naat.net), Sean D. Tucker & Team Oracle, the Lima Lima Flight Team (T-34Bs, www.limalima.com), Dave Dacy (Super Stearman), the Firebirds Delta Team, Rob Holland (MXS-RH Aerobatic Aircraft; 2011, 2012 U. S. National Aerobatic Champion; 2011 World Freestyle Champion), and Matt Chapman (Eagle 580, (www.mattchapman.com).
Among the helicopter demonstrations were the Chicago Police Dept./ Cook County Sheriff’s Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger, an air/sea rescue demo by the Chicago Fire Deptartment (Bell 412 EP), and Chuck Aaron in the Red Bull Helicopter (BO-105). Aaron is the first, and only, civilian pilot ever to be licensed to fly helicopter aerobatics in the U.S., and one of only three pilots in the world permitted to execute these maneuvers.
While the police and fire helicopters fly out of their base at Chicago’s Calumet Park, the other aircraft flew out of the Gary/Chicago Airport (GYY). Unfortunately, Meigs Field was destroyed by Chicago’s previous mayor, Richard M. Daley, and the Glenview NAS no longer exists, so Gary is the best, and an excellent, alternative.

Attendance at the show in 2012 was 2.2 million, the average for this show. This year, it dropped to 1.7 million, still a very respectable figure. There are some people who only come to see the Thunderbirds/Blue Angels and some of the high performance military jets, so they stayed home, as did the anti-war protesters. This airshow is different from many, in that it is not performed at a venue, like an airport, where spectators gather at and around the venue. For this show, many spectators bring their blankets and lawnchairs to watch from all along Chicago’s lakefront, even as far away as the northern suburb of Evanston, some nine miles north! They are able to listen to the narration over the radio (where broadcasters are at show center as well as various beach locations and high rise buildings), and the station even provides text messages as to the next act. While they would be able to see high performance jets making passes, they would not be able to see the aircraft with a much smaller size and turn radius.

Sponsorship is also an important factor in today’s airshows. Tax dollars pay for the military acts, but for the civilian participants, sponsors with deep pockets are necessary. Some sponsors, such as GEICO and AeroShell, have their names associated with teams, while others are on the list of sponsors for the entire airshow. When a Chicago event needs sponsors, the City knows who to turn to, and it has an excellent track record of getting them.

Show me someone who says this was a lousy airshow, and I’ll show you someone who wasn’t there.We look forward to the 2014 Chicago Air and Water Show!