2017 Airshows
Brunswick, GA   B-25s at Urbana, OH   B-25 Fly-Over the National Museum of the USAF   SC National Guard Air and Ground Expo   Dayton, OH   Goshen, IN   Tarkio, MO   Westfield, MA   Wings over Waukegan, IL

Wings over Waukegan Warbird Photo Review
Warbirds at Waukegan National Airport, IL - September 9, 2017

I always leave the airshow at Waukegan with a smile.  Seven times since 2007 I have done that.  This is a "sleeper" show in that it doesn't do much non local promotion, or get any national recognition as being one of the better warbird shows in the United States year after year.  This unfortunate because the show is really very good.  There are no incessant emails emails from the promoter like some shows do, telling you how great the show is going to be, and then not delivering.  Everything on schedule for Wings over Waukegan flew.  It delivered what it promised.

For the spectator it is cost effective.  Fifteen dollars for someone over 12 years old gains admission, parking, and very nice program.  This is very reasonable for four hours of flying that includes some some very well restored and rare jet aircraft.  There are no extra costs.  There are no VIP or sponsor tents.  There are no upgrades to chalets where food and booze become more important than the flying that is going on overhead.  The focus at Wings over Waukegan is on providing the best airshow for the best possible ticket price.  It succeeds at this.

There was a lot of flying in hour hours.  Due to personal time constraints I have restricted this report to 16 images including the two of the program.  The last image is the show schedule which tells all that flew.  The best way to enjoy this event it to attend.  Then you will walk away smiling also.

 
On the cover is the 2016 Heritage/Legacy flight.

Half of the main ramp at the start of show.  A TBM, (2) AD-1s and an A-4.  Most of the crowd sits on the edge of the ramp to watch the event.  This truly allows the spectator to get up close to engine starts and taxiing.


A T-2, (2) F-86s, and a T-33.  The show has a second ramp off behind the crowd that with more aircraft. 

I have been to a lot of airshows.  While they are the same, they are different.  Everyone that I have attended in 2017 had something new that I have never seen.  At Wings over Waukegan, it was a privately owned Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter. 

This is the crowd to my right, or to the east.  No chalets or sponsor/VIP tents to clutter up the crowd line, and take space away from the normal spectator that just wants to come out and see a good aerial demonstration.

The crowd to the west.

Close up and personal for a Skyraider start.  My son pointed out that there are six hard points on the left wing, and five on the right.

New to the show and myself was a superb aerobatic demonstration by T-28 "Skydoc."  Over the years there have been a limited number of T-28 solo aerobatic demonstrations.  This one is the best I have ever seen and showed the true capabilities of the aircraft.  Of special note was the triple loop starting at the west end of the show line and finishing at the east end.  Now that was impressive!  Pyro was used among several of the routines.

There are not many shows where one can see two F-86s flying formation together.

Then there was the Mig vs. F-86 simulated combat that gave the crowd multiple passes.  Here the two pass overhead just before the break for landing.

The Mig-17 was not on the ramp before or during the show, and appeared to be a no-show.  However, it showed up after the first F-86 had landed and the second was in the pattern.  After the "surprise" entrance the F-86 chased the Mig around the field in a simulated dogfight.  Afterwards, the Mig-17 landed and taxied in front of the crowd.

Both the Mig-17 and F-86 parked at the west end of the ramp.


The A-4 takes a "Huffer" to spool up the engine.  Here the ground crew moves the starter out of the way after the start.  The electric starter for the F-86s is located in the right of the photo.  Each F-86 started up one after the other, as there was only one electric starter.  Most of this type of interesting action takes place at shows on a hot ramp out of sight from the crowd.  At Wings over Waukegan the spectator can watch and hear it happen right in front of him.

The following is a repeat of what I wrote after the 2016 Wings over Waukegan Airshow.  I have seen three different A-4 Skyhawk aerial demonstrations.  Paul Wood, who flies aerobatic demonstration in the Warbird Heritage Foundation's A-4, performs the best of the three.  He shows the true capabilities of the aircraft and flies in in a manner reminiscent of when the Blue Angels had the aircraft.  He is very good!  There is no other way to say it. 

Every act listed was flown.  There was a lot airshow in four hours at Waukegan.  There always is.  Because of that I will be back in 2018.