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U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights to Headline

CHICAGO – Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City of Chicago and Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) proudly present the 2024 Chicago Air & Water Show, August 10 and 11 along the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach serving as show center from 10:30am to 3pm daily. Established in 1959, the Chicago Air & Water Show is the largest free admission event of its kind. Headliners of the 2024 show include the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights.

New this year are stunt pilot RJ Gritter aboard his acrobatic Decathalon 150 CS and the Trojan Phlyers who will show off their historical North American Aviation Company T-28B aircraft.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels return to the Chicago Air & Water Show, which takes place during Chicago Navy Week this year, flying their iconic F/A-18E Super Hornets. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are the oldest flight demonstration squadron in the U.S., having first flown in 1946. Also returning this year are the men and women of the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, who will jump out of an aircraft 12,000 feet above the earth’s surface to a perfect target landing on North Avenue Beach. Show announcer Herb Hunter, the “Voice of the Air and Water Show” for more than 35 years also returns this year to narrate and guide the spectators through each performer's aerial choreography.

“The Chicago Air & Water Show is a grand spectacle unique to our great city, pairing the world’s best pilots and sailors against the backdrop of beautiful Lake Michigan and our stunning Chicago skyline,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “We are thrilled to again welcome the roar of the jets and millions of spectators to the lakefront for this annual show, which is part of the quintessential Chicago summer experience.”

“Every year our team at DCASE is proud to present hundreds of free events throughout the city, from the neighborhoods to the parks and lakefront,” said DCASE Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth. “Like many of our iconic annual events, the Chicago Air & Water Show brings together residents and visitors to share in the joy and awe of live entertainment.”

The popular lakefront event features a wide variety of military and civilian performers and aerial demonstration teams with world-class pilots performing their aerobatic maneuvers along Chicago’s lakefront. For more information, visit ChicagoAirandWaterShow.us.

Featured military performers for the 2024 event include:

U.S Navy Blue Angels
The Blue Angels are the United States Navy's flight demonstration squadron. They were formed in 1946, making them one of the oldest formal aerobatic teams in the world. The team is composed of Navy and Marine Corps pilots, and their performances include skilled maneuvers, tight formations, and precision flying, which demonstrate naval aviation's capabilities. The Blue Angels fly F/A-18 Hornets, and their shows are known for their thrilling and precise aerobatic displays.

U.S Navy F-35C
The F-35C is the first and world’s only long-range stealth striker fighter designed and built explicitly for Navy carrier operations.

U.S Marine Corps F-35B
Renowned as one of the most advanced and versatile fighter jets, the F-35B maintains the ability to demonstrate unparalleled maneuverability and showcase cutting-edge airpower.

U.S Air Force C-17
The C-17 Globemaster III is the most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area.

U.S Air Force KC-135
The KC-135 Stratotanker provides the core aerial refueling capability for the United States Air Force and has excelled in this role for more than 60 years. It provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft.

U.S Air Force KC-46 Pegasus
The KC-46 Pegasus is a military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft designed to replace the older KC-135 Stratotanker and provides enhanced capabilities for the U.S. and allied forces.

U.S Air Force B-1B
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable sweep-wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force, with wing/body configuration, variable-geometry design and turbofan engines combined to provide greater range and high speed.

U.S Army Golden Knights Parachute Team
The United States Army Parachute Team, nicknamed the Golden Knights, is a demonstration and competition parachute team of the United States Army. It consists of demonstration and competition parachutist teams, drawn from all branches of the U.S Army.

U.S Army AH-64
As the original production attack helicopter, the Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two.

U.S Air Force/Maryland Air National Guard A-10
The Maryland Air National Guard, the aerial militia of the State of Maryland and a reserve component of the United States Air force, will demonstrate A-10 flyovers. The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs are a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft, commonly referred to as the “Warthog.”

U.S Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin Search & Rescue (SAR)
The Eurocopter MH-65 Dolphin is a twin-engine helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard for medevac-capable search and rescue and Airborne Use of Force missions. The Search & Rescue Demo will act as a visual representation of the precision and speed with which these medical evacuations are carried out.

Featured civilian stunt performers include:

RJ Gritter Decathlon Aerobatics (NEW)
The Chicago Air & Water Show welcomes RJ Gritter for his first year participating. RJ developed a passion for aerobatics while raised in aviation by his father, a test pilot, and his mother, a flight instructor. Through a passion for radio-control (R/C) flying and a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from North Carolina State University, RJ has flown more than 200 airshow performances and has logged more than a thousand hours of flight.

Trojan Phlyers – T-28 (2-ship) (NEW)
The Chicago Air & Water Show also welcomes the Trojan Phlyers for their first year of participation. The Trojan Phlyers, a group of aviation professionals dedicated to preserving the rich history of the North American Aviation Company’s T28 Trojan, own and operate two T-28B aircraft, which can takeoff in less than 800 feet of runway, climb to 10,000 feet in less than 90 seconds, race level above 335 MPH, and dive faster than 380 MPH.

Bill Stein Edge 540
Bill Stein has logged over 7,000 hours of aerobatic and formation flight. As a student pilot, he began flying aerobatics and has been dedicated to perfecting his skills ever since. Since 1995, Bill has performed at air shows across the United States and has entertained millions air show fans, now with his own designed aircraft, the Edge 540, which uses a paint that continuously changes color based on the constantly varying angles between the spectators, airplane, and the lighting.

Kevin Coleman Red Bull Aerobatic Pilot
Kevin Coleman has had a passion to be a pilot his whole life. At age 10, he began training with legendary barnstormer Marion Cole. At 16, he completed his first solo flight before he even had a drivers licence. Before long, he was fine-tuning his craft under the mentorship of Kirby Chambliss, ultimately joining his Red Bull Air Race team in 2016 as one of the youngest faces in the sport. Now, he wows crowds around the world with his incredible acrobatic flying with the Red Bull Air Force.

Susan Dacy – Big Red Stearman Biplane
Susan Dacy is one of only a few females performing airshows in a biplane and is the only woman flying exhibition in the Super Stearman. As an avid fan of airshows and aviation her whole life, Susan earned a degree in Aviation Operations and Systems from Southern Illinois University and through hard work in all kinds of flight-related jobs, she now stands as a Chicago-based International Captain with over 35,000 hours of flight logged. Flying Big Red, a World War II trainer for young naval aviators, Susan takes audience members back in time to the barnstorming era of flying.

Ed “Hamster” Hamill – Folds of Honor Biplane
Col Ed Hamill, USAF retired, performs on the airshow circuit flying the Folds of Honor Biplane. Ed is a veteran airshow pilot, performing his first show in 1999. While completing his 30-year career flying F-16s in the Air Force, Ed has performed in his biplane for over 42 million at airshows across North America. Hamill now partners with Folds of Honor Foundation which provides scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled military and first responders -- Honor their sacrifice. Educate their legacy. Since 2007, Folds of Honor has given out 51,000 scholarships worth nearly $240 million.

The Chicago Air and Water Show is presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The Chicago Air & Water Show is supported by The Boeing Company, Capital One, BUBBL’r, ABC 7 Chicago, WBBM Newsradio, Chicago Transit Authority and Millennium Garages.

Audio description will be available online for those who are blind/low vision both days of the event.

For more information, visit chicagoairandwatershow.us, join the conversation on Facebook (Chicago Air & Water Show), follow on X and Instagram @ChicagoDCASE (#ChicagoAirandWater).

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NOTE TO MEDIA: Credential requests for the Chicago Air & Water Show and other DCASE events can be made online.

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city — to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city — serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For details, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE and stay connected via our newsletters and social media.