When the U.S. Navy Blue Angels return to the 65th annual Chicago Air and Water Show, it will be a little bit sweeter as their appearance lands during Chicago Navy Week.
The free show runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 10-11 along the Chicago lakefront from Fullerton Avenue to Oak Street, with the North Avenue Beach as the focal point.
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will be flying their iconic F/A-18E Super Hornets at Chicago’s show, performing signature aerial maneuvers like diamond and delta formations.
“The Blue Angels coming during Chicago Navy Week is really great,” said Ann Hickey, deputy commissioner with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “Just the Blue Angels in general — we alternate years so they haven’t been here in a couple years. Whenever they come back it seems like they bring something new and exciting. There’s nothing better than watching them as the last performance of the day. It always wows everybody from the beach.”
New this year are stunt pilot RJ Gritter with his acrobatic Decathalon 150 CS and the Trojan Phlyers with their historical North American Aviation Company T-28B aircraft.
“RJ Gritter — it’s really great to have another aerobatic team,” she said. “We’re excited to have some our featured returning people — Susan Dacy, Ed Hamill, Kevin Coleman with his Red Bull — but bringing someone in like RJ Gritter is going to provide some new and fun things to see for people.”
Gritter is certified for surface-level solo and formation aerobatics, comedy, wing-walking and circle-the-jumper. The Trojan Phlyers’ pilots perform formation and solo aerobatics.
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Returning fan favorites are the men and women of the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, who will jump from 12,000 feet above the ground to stick the perfect landing.
“They will jump twice on Saturday and Sunday. You get to see them fly through the air and come together and land on North Avenue Beach,” she said.
Show announcer Herb Hunter, the voice of the show for more than 35 years, will be back to provide play-by-play coverage, which can be heard on WBBM-AM 780, 105.9 FM and the free Audacy app.
“Being able to listen to the show no matter where you are on the beach is so great,” she said. “You can listen to it from Oak Street to Fullerton and you can also listen to it on the radio as well. Having his voice there and being able to listen to it if you’re down at 31st Street Beach or Montrose Beach — you can listen and still feel like you’re at North Avenue Beach as part of the show with Herb behind you.”
Pro tip: if you can’t make it to the actual show, there’s a rehearsal show from (around) 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 9 at North Avenue Beach and spectators are welcome.
“You’re talking about the best-kept secret of the summer,” Hickey said.
You can watch the show from a boat as well if you’re lucky enough to have a friend with a boat. Boaters can be out on Lake Michigan so long as they avoid the show’s restricted zone, which will be identified by orange “Do Not Enter” buoys.
“There are a ton of boaters that go out and watch the show,” she said.
Accessibility
As the beaches are managed by the Chicago Park District, the Air and Water Show seeks to be as accessible as possible. While there aren’t dedicated wheelchair surfaces at the beaches, a beach is considered accessible if it has an accessible path of travel (beach walk) to the shoreline.
Several Chicago beaches have these beach walks, with the International Symbol of Access (wheelchair icon) indicating accessible beaches on the website. Additionally, several beaches have a beach wheelchair available for free use with a valid ID.
People who are deaf or hard of hearing have the opportunity to sign up for audio description. It’s a form of narration used to describe in detail the action to that community, she said.
“We have someone out there both Saturday and Sunday on the stage … describing the elements of the show in a different way specific for people who are blind or with low vision for them to really feel that they’re enjoying the show in the same way,” she said. “I’ve actually heard some of it. It’s pretty fascinating to hear the details they talk about. It makes you feel you’re getting a different aspect of it too since it’s so specific.”
People can sign up on the DCASE website (dcase.community/) for access.
Pickup and drop off is at the North Avenue northbound entrance to Jean Baptiste Point on DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
Hearing
Dr. Sreek Cherukuri, an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor with Relief Allergy and Sinus Institute in St. Charles, urged show-goers to take ear protection seriously.
Being exposed to sounds 95 decibels or higher is the danger zone for hearing loss or damage, he said.
“It depends on a few things, but you can lose your hearing very, very quickly. We see patients all the time that have sudden hearing loss from gunshots, fireworks, things like that. July 4 is often busy for us — people ignite fireworks too close to them.”
A lawnmower, for example, is about 100 to 110 decibels and a police siren is about 120 dBs, he said. Jet engines during the Air and Water Show can get to 140dB close by and for spectators, have been measured between 100 and 115dB.
Typically, since the exposure time for spectators to the jet engine sounds are so short and they are followed by periods without significant noise, it’s not too risky for most people, he said. He still recommends ear protection for younger spectators.
“For kids especially and certain people, you can get really significant damage in a short amount of time,” he said. “Noise-induced hearing loss is often permanent and is the most preventable type of hearing loss. We certainly don’t think about it in our younger years, but it adds up over time.”
The simplest thing to do is to bring earplugs to the show — and wear them.
“The other thing is, listen to your body,” he said. “If you are starting to feel ringing or (experience) muffled hearing … then you should probably leave the area or certainly wear earplugs if you’re not going to leave.”
If anyone notices ringing in their ears or muffled healing after the show, they should see an ENT physician or audiologist as soon as possible to be evaluated, he said.
How to get there
If you didn’t book parking on your SpotHero app weeks ago, your best bet is public transportation.
If you’re coming from the suburbs, the cost of a Metra ticket is $7 round-trip per weekend day; or, if you’re planning on attending both days, buy the $10 weekend pass (available on the Ventra app only). Up to three children age 11 and under can ride for free with an adult.
Visit the CTA’s website (transitchicago.com/) and use the Plan a Trip feature to coordinate train and bus routes. There’s a possibility you could still get a spot at Millennium Park Garage (millenniumgarages.com/all-garages/millennium-park-garage/?gad_source=1), 6 S. Columbus Drive, where free shuttles (with an accessible lift) will be offered to North Avenue Beach.
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Pro tip: for $20 per vehicle, you can park at Gary/Chicago International Airport (flygyy.com/) and watch the planes take off and land. There will be food and beverage vendors as well as restrooms available.
What to bring
Bring a portable radio or mobile device so you can listen to Herb Hunter calling the show, water, a picnic, binoculars, chairs, plenty of sunscreen and earplugs, she said. Leave the barbecue grills, drones, pop-up tents or canopies, helium balloons, kites, flag poles, alcohol, illegal substances, fireworks, weapons and all pets, excluding service animals, at home. Bags and coolers will be subject to search.
Featured performers
The show features a healthy mix of military and civilian performers.
“One of the reasons we invite the same people back is because they do a spectacular job in Chicago and we really can count on them to be able to do a good show and safely as well,” she said. “I am always a huge fan of Susan Dacy. I personally love seeing a woman up there in the plane. I find that she really does a great job.
“But I will also say the military acts and having these huge planes come by — you don’t get to see these any other time. So being able to have them come by and talk about what they are and which branch of the military they’re from — I’m always really excited to share that with people.”
Susan Dacy flies a 450 horsepower, Super Stearman biplane called Big Red that got its start in life as a World War II trainer for naval aviators. She is one of the few females performing in airshows in a biplane and is the only woman flying exhibition in the Super Stearman.
Other Air Force performers include Maryland Air National Guard A-10 Thunderbolt II, B-1B Lancer, C-17 Globemaster III, KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135E Stratotanker.
Other military performers include U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter, U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet, U.S. Navy F-35C stealth striker, and U.S. Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin Search and Rescue.
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Chicago Air and Water Show
Where: 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 10-11
Where: Chicago lakefront from Fullerton Avenue to Oak Street
Tickets: free
Information: chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_air_and_watershow.html