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Patriotism Ready for Takeoff at Chicago Air and Water Show.

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) August 14, 2002 Byline: Liam Ford Aug. 14–Although many air shows across North America were scaled back or even canceled after last fall’s terrorist attacks, the Chicago show this weekend will be bigger–and promoters hope better–than ever.

The Chicago Air and Water Show will feature more aerial demonstrations during each day of the show Saturday and Sunday. But security will be tighter at the airports where planes gather before swooping over the north lakefront, and the U.S. Coast Guard will keep a watchful eye on boats along the city’s shoreline.

What will be most different this year, said pilots and those involved with the show, is how much they will count on the spectators at the 44th annual show to keep an eye out for trouble.

And as with other air shows in the last year, those involved expect a boosted sense of pride at the flexing of America’s military muscle.

The Chicago Police Department doesn’t disclose how many officers it uses for events such as the show. Officials said they have no reason to believe the show will be a terrorist target but added that people should be alert for anything that hints of trouble.

“What was just unusual on Sept. 10 may now be suspicious,” said Pat Camden, a police spokesman. “This whole security issue involves everyone. It involves the community, not just the police.” But Jim Harmon, commanding officer of the Coast Guard’s Calumet Harbor Station, said, “We have no intelligence that this particular event has any significance in the minds of the terrorists.” Air shows most affected by security concerns have been those at military bases, some of which have been cut back because of security concerns. Several shows, including those in San Diego and at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Va., had to cancel in the weeks after Sept. 11 because of restrictions on air flight. web site chicago air and water show 2012

But safety has continued to be an issue this year. The yearly show at Maryland’s Andrews Air Force Base, where Air Force One is stationed, was scaled down to one day from two this spring, in part because of security questions. Costs also have been an issue, canceling a show at Scott Air Force Base near Downstate Belleville.

Insurance restrictions have stopped at least two air shows in Canada this year.

Chicago and several other civilian air shows have been able to keep flying because they’re underwritten by corporate sponsors, organizers said.

Perhaps among the most serious reasons for canceled air shows is that some planes usually available for smaller shows have been deployed for military duty, said those familiar with shows throughout the country.

Pilots said they have become more aware of security, and in practices this week, they have made certain to let more people know what they’re doing. The Federal Aviation Administration assigns a traffic controller to the air show, and pilots notify FAA officials when they practice. But pilots are being careful to tell Chicago police, and some even say they’ve called officials at the Sears Tower and other buildings who might worry at the sight of airplanes flying close to downtown.

Even as security continues to be a concern at shows throughout the country, participants in air shows that survived the past year’s cancellations said spectators are reacting with fervor to anything that evokes the love of country. chicagoairandwatershow2012.com chicago air and water show 2012

Sean D. Tucker, pilot of the Oracle Challenger, a private “aerobatic” plane that will be in this weekend’s show, said patriotism at the shows has grown “exponentially.” “The people who come out come out to celebrate the freedoms of Americans and the magic of flight,” Tucker said.

“That’s one of the neat things about this job,” said Lt. Mike Blankenship, spokesman for the Navy’s Blue Angels, also part of the show. “You get a taste of what patriotism is like all across the county.” A renewed sense of respect that the Blue Angels have seen from spectators at shows “is not just to the Blue Angels. It’s to everyone wearing a military uniform. We’re just a little bit higher profile, and more in the spotlight,” Blankenship said.

The Air and Water Show will run Saturday and Sunday along the lakefront from Oak Street Beach to Fullerton Avenue. The water show will begin at 9 a.m. each day, and the air show will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Twilight Air Show will run from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, with fireworks at Navy Pier at 10:15 p.m.