Community Corner

Airshow Features P-51C Mustang, Wing Walkers

The "Wings Over Waukegan" Airshow features military planes, wing walkers, warbird planes, a classic car show and a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen.

The “Wings Over Waukegan” Airshow features military planes, wing walkers, warbird planes, a classic car show and more. The event is expected to draw more than 20,000 spectators from Lake, McHenry and Cook Counties to the Waukegan Airport this Saturday, Sept. 10.

A wide variety of planes, including the Airforce A-10, the Navy F/A 18 Super Hornet, T-2 Buckeye, WWII P-51C Mustang, Korean War F-86 Fighter, Hopper Flight Team, SU-26, A-4 Sky Hawk, Super Stearman Wing Walking Team, F4U Corsair, Aerostars and more will be featured during the event.

"It's a unique opportunity to see and experience aircraft of all types up close and personal," said Show Boss Jeff Clark. "At big airshows, everything is distant and far away from the spectators. Here, we have some the best planes and performances in an intimate setting. The pilots are available for autographs. It is a great family event."

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Clark has volunteered with the "Wings Over Waukegan" Air Show since it began 11 years ago. "It is a four hour show with some of the greatest airplanes and pilots around," he said. "The show has gotten bigger and bigger every year."

One warbird in particular will stand out to the crowd. The P-51C Mustang with its unmistakable red tail is part of the educational initiative to help patrons understand and appreciate the history and legacy of the special group of black pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen.

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The CAF Red Tail Squadron, a volunteer-driven non-profit organization that is part of the Commemorative Air Force, completed a $1 million restoration of the Mustang in 2009 and the airplane has been on the air show circuit ever since.

At each stop, its pilots and crew take every opportunity to tell audiences the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black fighter pilots to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps (now the U.S. Air Force) and the thousands of the other black men and women who supported them.

The P-51C Mustang will be joined by the new CAF Red Tail Squadron RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit, a customized 53’ trailer with expandable sides that houses a 160-degree curved movie screen and seating for 30 in climate-controlled comfort. A 14-minute original movie called “RISE ABOVE” focuses on what the Tuskegee Airmen – pilots and their support personnel – had to overcome to be allowed to fly and fight for their country during World War II. Admission to the exhibit is free of charge.

“In addition to viewing the exhibit, a limited number of attendees can
experience a thrill of a lifetime by purchasing a 30-minute plane ride in the P-51C Mustang for a cost of $1,500,” said Clark.

The CAF Red Tail Squadron’s RISE ABOVE traveling Exhibit and the red-tailed P-51C Mustang, Tuskegee Airmen, will be on display during the core air show hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Waukegan Regional Air Show, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit corporation. No tax money is used to produce the show, and all money is raised locally by a volunteer committee. Past net proceeds have been given to charities.

Online tickets cost $7 each, and tickets at the gate cost $10 each. Children under 12 are free and parking is free.

Gates open at 10 a.m. and the airshow starts at 12 noon, but there is plenty to do before the show starts like helicopter rides, the car show and seeing the Rise Above exhibit.

For more information, visit www.WaukeganAirShow.com.


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