Spectacular airshows and exhibits rekindle spirit of adventure

There’s a joke among pilots that goes like this: “I want to be a pilot when I grow up!” says the kid to her parents. With a roll of their eyes, the parents say, “Well, you can’t do both!” The few of those who go on to be pilots get to live the dream of human flight again and again. Thankfully, for the rest of us grown-ups, we can still rekindle that thirst for adventure through the spectacle of the modern airshow.

Considered to be the first international aviation meeting, the “Grande Semaine d’Aviation de la Champagne,” was held in August 1909. The weeklong spectacle drew prominent aviators from all over the world to battle for prizes in challenges such as completing a course the fastest, carrying passengers, or staying airborne the longest, according to the U.S. Air Combat Command, primary provider of air combat forces to America’s war fighting commanders.

Today, the spectacular feats of world class pilots flying eye-popping aircraft continue to provide an escape from the mundane and a way to help young people dream as high as they can see.

THE BIGGEST AND THE BEST

If you’re a “one and done” airshow fan looking for the biggest and best once a year event to attend, you’ve got choices. That’s because, when it comes to airshows, the title for biggest and best depends on who you talk to.

AirVenture Oshkosh Air Show, July 25-31

North of the border, the small town of Oshkosh, Wisconsin hosts the annual EAA AirVenture show, arguably the largest annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts in the country. After a one-year pandemic hiatus, the aviation event came charging back in 2021 with a crowd of 608,000 and a record 3,176 show-planes among the more than 10,000 aircraft on site.

“The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” is hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a non-profit corporation headquartered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The organization has a membership from over 100 countries that exceeded 250,000 members for the first time last year. Their AirVenture show is the perfect gathering place for kids young and old to enjoy seven days of aerobatics, history a camaraderie that revolve around the celebration of the power of human flight.

The Chicago Air and Water Show, Aug. 20-21

Billed as the largest free airshow of its kind in the U.S., the Chicago Air and Water Show delivers spectacular feats of aerial showmanship in the air and on the water at North Avenue Beach and along Chicago’s magnificent lakefront on Lake Michigan. With Chicago’s Skyline as a backdrop, audience numbers reach 2 million annually, according to the City of Chicago’s Cultural Affairs department.

The first appearance of the now highly-anticipated international affair was in 1959 at Chicago Avenue and Lake Michigan. The budget was $88. The next year, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Golden Knights Parachute Team performed before a growing audience, launching the event as a Chicago summer tradition.

This year, look for a return of the legendary Blue Angels with other headliners such as the USAF F-35A Lightning II Demo, Susan Dacy in her Super Stearman “Big Red” and antique military aircraft from the Warbird Heritage Foundation.

BIGGER DOESN’T MEAN BETTER

The Milwaukee Air & Water Show, July 23-24

Celebrating 11 years, The Milwaukee Air & Water Show tops the list as a slightly more modest event that still ranks as one of the top air shows in the U.S. The show is a popular outing for families providing “affordable, wholesome entertainment,” perfect for memories that will last for years to come.

DOWN TO EARTH IDEAS FOR AVIATION BUFFS

Take Flight at the Museum of Science and Industry, open year round

If your summer plans don’t include travel, no worries. You can experience the wonder of flight right here in Chicago at the newly reimagined “Take Flight Exhibit” at the Museum of Science and Industry. See a section of a 727 as it looked on its first flight in 1964. Learn what commercial aircraft look like with the casing peeled back to reveal the mechanical, electronic and hydraulic systems. Kids will be enthralled with a chance to talk to real United Airlines pilots about their careers and hear real-life stories about how planes fly.

Air Classics Museum in Sugar Grove open April-November

Chicagoland’s largest aviation museum, the Air Classics Museum in Sugar Grove houses a collection of aircraft, vehicles, uniforms and other aviation memorabilia from the 1930s through today. Veterans offer guided tours of aircraft and visitors are encouraged to sit in a Gulf War A-7 and climb into the pilot’s seat of an UH-1 Huey helicopter. Learn about the critical role aviation has played throughout history through unique exhibits, educational programs and flight operations.

Hangar One Foundation in Glenview open Saturdays, Sundays year round

Both a museum and foundation, Hangar One Foundation honors the ingenuity, accomplishments, and educational legacy of Naval Air Station Glenview and Glenview civilian aviation. Learn how Glenview was a cradle of civilian aviation and crucial to the defense of the United States and its allies from WWII until the air station’s closing in 1995.