8/15/2008 - Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Lead and Chicago Air Show Celebrate 50 Years this Weekend
The 2008 Chicago Air and Water Show celebrates 50 years with three days of daredevil thrills in the air and on the water at North Avenue Beach and along Chicago's magnificent lakefront August 15, 16 & 17. Over the years, the show has become a summer tradition featuring aviation's top military and civilian pilots. The 50th Annual Chicago Air & Water Show presented by Shell Oil Products U.S. and the City of Chicago promises to be like no other for the first time there will be a Friday night show and evening concert at North Avenue Beach.
Along with the 50th Chicago Air Show, on Friday, Mark and Alan Henley of the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team will both celebrate a 50th birthday milestone. Mark is now the team lead while his brother and teammate, Alan, is recovering in a Birmingham Rehabilitation Hospital from back injuries in an accident while at home. Alan was injured the week before AirVenture in July while playing with his two children. The Friday night show with all the fireworks gives more reason to celebrate Alan's continued improvement and a special birthday for both.
The first show was held in 1959 at Chicago Avenue and Lake Michigan. Once called the Lakeshore Park Air & Water Show it featured a Coast Guard Air Sea Rescue demonstration, water skiers, a water ballet, games and a diving competition. Forty nine shows later and with audience numbers reaching an average of 2.2 million annually, it is one of the largest consecutively running spectator events in the United States. The Chicago Air and Water Show is more than an event; it is an occasion and an established tradition for many Chicagoans and visitors alike. -Betty Meyer, FMI: 2008 Chicago Air and Water Show
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