At high noon on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, aircraft will fly over Waukegan National Airport, with one separating from the pack and rising to the heavens. It’s called the missing man formation, and will be part of the air displays seen at the Northern Illinois Airshow in Waukegan.
In addition, Waukegan native Mary Vineski Bayazid will sing the National Anthem and parachutists will descend from the sky with a special banner made to commemorate the Sept. 11 attacks.
“It’s a tribute to both the terrible losses and American bravery which occurred 20 years ago,” said Tom Coogan, president of the Northern Illinois Airshow, open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 11.
This year, it will feature the first flight in 10 years of a renovated war craft, as well as flight performances by world-renowned acrobatic pilots and flying demonstrations of vintage military craft.
“It’s especially important to me to provide aviation exposure to our youth so that we may contribute to the future of aviation professionals,” Coogan said. “I strongly remember going to air shows at Navy Glenview as a child. From that moment, I never lost the flame in my heart for aviation.”
What makes this event special, canceled last year due to the pandemic, is that the public can touch some of the aircraft, ask questions of the crew or talk to a pilot, Coogan said.
“You can’t do that at many other air shows,” he said. “Sometimes you even get to sit in the cockpit.”
The air show begins at noon. “This year, it’s really special. We have a brand new, FG-1D Corsair making its Northern Illinois Airshow debut,” Coogan said.
The Corsair is owned and was restored by the War Bird Heritage Foundation, located at the Waukegan airport. The foundation maintains, restores and flies World War II through 1980s military aircraft. “Unlike at many other aircraft museums, these aircraft will fly at our air show,” Coogan said.
The Corsair is approximately 33 feet long with a 40-foot wingspan and a 2,250 horsepower engine.
“It’s noisy when it takes off,” Coogan said. “Probably the most recognizable feature is the inverted gull wing.”
Part of the restoration included a new paint job with words referring to the former Naval Air Station at Glenview, he added.
“The Corsair saw significant action in World War II and in Korea,” Coogan said. “If you’ve studied World War II and Korean War history and seen what a stellar plane the Corsair had been and then see what appears to be a fresh out-of-a-factory aircraft and watch it fly, it really will give you the sense of experiencing history in real life,” he said.
The show’s headline performer is the Phillips 66 Aerostars. “They are a strong aerial performance team. You’ll see them take their aircraft and perform flawless precision formation aerobatics,” Coogan said.
“It is not easy to perform aerobatics without and aircraft three feet on either side of you,” he said. “It requires a special talent.”
Sometime during the show, the F5 Freedom Fighter will fly over the airport from Rockford. “It won’t land because it needs a little more runway than we can provide,” Coogan said.
A returning youth favorite will be a high speed run of a 1940 truck powered by a turbo jet engine.
“Kids love the truck. It makes a ton of noise and it makes a ton of smoke and it gets every kids’ attention,” Coogan said. “It goes down the runway at extremely high speeds.”
Coogan said he’s expecting record crowds. He’s working to provide more on-site parking and a greater variety of food and drink choices for purchase. Food can be brought into the airport, but coolers are not allowed. Alcohol is prohibited.
A station offering COVID-19 vaccinations will also be on site. Masking requirements will be in sync with recommendations by the State of Illinois and the CDC at the time of the event.
“We have a small amount of semi-indoor open hangar space and a virtual reality semitrailer from the U.S. Army which will have its own COVID policy,” Coogan said.
Two parking entrances are planned, with one at Lewis Avenue and Beach Road and another at Yorkhouse and McAree roads.
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An outside vendor will provide helicopter rides for $50 a seat starting at 10:15 a.m.
Bring your own chairs and blankets; or rent chairs in advance for $9 at mysportseat.com/chicagoland/.
Northern Illinois Airshow
When: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 11
Where: Waukegan National Airport, 2358 Beach Road, Waukegan
Tickets: $15; cash only; free for veterans and children age 12 and under
Information: 847-244-0055; northernillinoisairshow.com
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.