Information

Chicago Air and Water Show 2023: Full lineup and special events

Each day before flying, all pilots and air crew must attend morning briefings to acquire the most recent weather updates and other important information.

Chicago Air and Water Show 2023: The Chicago Air and Water Show 2023 will be presented with pride by the City of Chicago and Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events on August 19 and 20 along the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach acting as the show centre from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each.

The U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will highlight the 2023 performance, which was founded in 1959 and is one of the largest free admission events of its kind. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds won’t have performed in Chicago since last year.

The Thunderbirds, a U.S. Air Force display team that has been performing since 1953, will mark its 70th anniversary in 2023. With their F-16C Fighting Falcons, today’s Thunderbirds will dazzle spectators with spectacular formation and solo flying. The courageous members of the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights will move onlookers as they leap from an aeroplane at a height of 12,000 feet before making a flawless target landing on North Avenue Beach.

A wide range of military and civilian performers, aerial demonstration teams, and world-class pilots display their aerobatic skills around Chicago’s lakefront during the well-known lakefront festival.

Featured military performers of Chicago Air and Water Show 2023

  • US Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team,
  • US Air Force Heritage Flight Demo Team (P-51 Mustang),
  • US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III Demo Team,
  • US Air Force/Air National Guard A-10 Thunderbolt II (x4),
  • US Air Force/Air National Guard KC-135E Stratotanker,
  • US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet “Rhino” Demo Team,
  • US Navy Legacy Flight Demo Team (A-4B Skyhawk & FG-1D Corsair),
  • US Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin Search & Rescue Demo

Non Professional Performers

  • Susan Dacy, Bill Stein,
  • Kevin Coleman,
  • Edward Hamil,
  • Rob Holland,
  • Triple Time Team, the Chicago Fire Department Air/Sea Rescue, and the Chicago Police Department helicopter

According to DCASE Commissioner Erin Harkey, “the Chicago Air and Water show is a summer highlight for the more than one million spectators who view the show every year.” The Chicago sky will be graced with extraordinary performances over two thrilling days by elite military and civilian teams, according to the press release.

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events puts on the Chicago Air and Water Show. The Boeing Company, ABC7 Chicago, WBBM Newsradio, the Chicago Transit Authority, and Millennium Garages all provide support for the Chicago Air & Water Show.

For people who are blind or have low vision, audio description will be provided on both days of the event; register using this link.

Performers at the Chicago Air and Water Show 2023

Military artists

  • American Air Force F-16 Demo Team
  • Heritage Flight Demo Team (P-51 Mustang) of the US Air Force
  • Team C-17 Globemaster III of the US Air Force
  • Air National Guard/US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II (four)
  • Air National Guard and US Air Force KC-135E Stratotanker
  • F/A-18F Super Hornet “Rhino” Demo Team from the US Navy
  • US Navy Legacy Flight Demo Team (FG-1D Corsair and A-4B Skyhawk)
  • MH-65D Dolphin Search & Rescue Demo by the US Coast Guard

Individual Artists

  • Deanna Dacy
  • William Stein
  • Ira Coleman
  • Air/Sea Rescue from the Chicago Fire Department
  • Helicopter for the Chicago Police Department

Chicago Air & Water Show 2023: 64th Annual Year

The Air and Water Show, put on by the City of Chicago, marks 64 years of adrenaline-pumping thrills in the air and on the water at North Avenue Beach and along Chicago’s stunning lakefront on Lake Michigan. The Chicago Air & Water Show is the largest FREE entry air and water extravaganza of its type in the United States, drawing more than a million people each year against the backdrop of Chicago’s skyline. The exhibition has over the years featured some of the best military and civilian pilots and aircraft. Every two years, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, and U.S. Navy Leap Frogs take centre stage.

The Chicago Air & Water Show is run in a very careful and safe manner. Before, during, and after the show, safety procedures are always performed. At the Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary, Indiana, aeroplanes take off and land. In a predetermined safety zone, all pilots conduct stunts over the sea. Buildings are occasionally flown over by aircraft, but only as a necessary part of their route back to the display area or the airport.

To ensure the safety of everyone involved, organisers collaborate closely with the FAA and several City Departments in a very proactive manner. Each day before flying, all pilots and air crew must attend morning briefings to acquire the most recent weather updates and other important information. Additionally, the show uses a dedicated air traffic controller to watch over the city’s airspace while the display is in progress.

History of Chicago Air and Water Show

Al Benedict, a supervisor for the Chicago Park District, organised the first performance, which took place in Lake Shore Park in 1959. The Lake Shore Park Air & Water Show was a part of a “Family Day” celebration for kids enrolled in the Chicago Park District’s day camp programme, and it was held at Chicago Avenue and Lake Michigan. The cost was $88, and the programme included games, a diving competition, a Coast Guard Air Sea Rescue demonstration, water skiers, and a water ballet.

The event became a summer tradition in Chicago the year after the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Golden Knights Parachute Team gave a performance in front of a sizable crowd.

Later, the event was given the name Chicago Park District Air & Water Show, extended to two days, and relocated to North Avenue Beach, where it is now. Corporate sponsorship involvement was established in 1989 and now significantly contributes to the show’s production costs. Since 1994, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events has been in charge of organising the event.

Voice of the Show

Herb’s unmistakable ability to keep a crowd informed and entertained at the same time will be evident to those hearing him for the first time from the start. He is well-known to millions as “the voice” of the Chicago Air and Water Show, which attracts tens of thousands of spectators each year along the lakefront. In the national air show industry as well as among Chicago fans, he has become a household name. And his standing as a model professional who walks the walk as well as talks the talk is just getting stronger today.

Herb’s announcing is so spectacular because of more than just reading notes while entertainers enthral captivated fans while hurtling into the skies, as is evident by watching Herb in action on the announcer’s stand.

Sweta Bharti

Sweta Bharti is pursuing bachelor's in medicine. She is keen on writing on the trending topics.

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