Two Chicago Sun-Times photographers got a rare view of the skies Sunday morning, joining the U.S. Army Golden Knights as the parachute team took flight at the 66th annual Chicago Air and Water Show.
The aircraft and aerial performers can be seen from most spots along the lakefront, but the best place to watch is at Oak Street Beach, which offers the best sightlines for the parachute landings, and it’s where crowds gather as the jets roar above.
This year’s finale didn’t go quite as planned, with headliners the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds having cut their flyover short amid weather concerns.
“Due to inclement weather and for the safety of the performers, the final Thunderbird performance [was] a bit shorter,” said Bria Purdiman, deputy commissioner of marketing and communications for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The final Golden Knights performance and Two Dudes performance had to be postponed indefinitely, Purdiman said.
On Friday, as the Thunderbirds practiced low-altitude passes over the city, windows shattered in the lobbies of at least three Lake View condo buildings, residents said.
Some residents said they felt strong vibrations and a sudden jolt as U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds practiced over buildings in the 3100, 3600 and 3900 blocks of North Lake Shore Drive. Chicago police and an alderperson received complaints about damage at the building in the 3100 block of Lake Shore Drive.
Sun-Times photographers Anthony Vazquez and Zubaer Khan joined the Golden Knights in Gary, Indiana, at 8 a.m. Sunday, before the spectacle unfolded over Lake Michigan. The morning began with a safety briefing as the team packed their gear and conducted a dry run of the jump, mapping out where each member would be positioned once airborne.
They jumped into a plane and climbed to about 12,500 feet, heading north toward Chicago. Throughout the flight, crew members leaned out of the plane to check the wind and monitor conditions, Vazquez said.
The timing of the aerial stunts depends on more than choreography. Pilots and crews adjust in real time based on weather conditions, gauging visibility, wind and cloud cover to decide when each maneuver is safe to perform.
When the team was in position, the first group of three parachutists jumped, carrying the U.S. flag. Their descent helped guide the rest of the team, with small streamers marking wind speed and direction to ensure the remaining jumpers could land precisely on target.
Khan’s experience came with a mix of awe and nerves. “I was sent to the cockpit to sit with the pilots,” he said. “We had a smooth takeoff and everyone seemed to be comfortable — everybody except for me. That ascent to 12,500 feet was a little unnerving, but it was all worth it to see the parachuters jump out of the plane.”
Once all of the parachutists had exited the plane, the aircraft circled back to Gary, completing the run. “I was as happy to come down as I was to go up,” Khan said.
For the Sun-Times photographers, it was a front-row seat to the coordination that ensures the crowd on the ground gets a captivating show.
The Chicago Air and Water Show first took to the skies in 1959, and in the decades since has grown into one of the largest events of its kind in the world, filling the lakefront with eager fans each summer.