The Chicago Air and Water Show made a spectacular return to the lakefront on Saturday, the first of the long-awaited spectacle featuring fighter jets, acrobats, small airlines and more.
Upwards of two million people were expected to visit the beaches, rooftops and watch by boat throughout the weekend event.
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WATCH HERE“Everybody becomes a kid, so for me I’m still in awe,” said Dave Adams, the Chicago Air and Water Show’s "Air Boss." “The weather conditions are perfect. On a normal Saturday and Sunday with these conditions, there’s going to be a lot of people at the beach. You throw an air show into the mix and people are going to come out in droves.”
Some people staked out a spot on the beach hours before showtime.
“This is what we live for,” spectator Michelle Carter told NBC 5.
She claimed her family’s spot on the beach early -- at 7 a.m.
“This is tradition for us we’ve been doing this for over 30 years," she said. "It’s the best place to be on this day.”
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Powerful jets flew overhead all afternoon, mesmerizing those on the ground below.
“It is absolutely breathtaking, something that you can’t see from home is just when those planes fly by and your bones shake,” said Teri Reed, who was visiting from Connecticut. “You feel the power of the engine and the skill of the people flying them, and they’re absolutely, so amazingly well-trained.”
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A fan favorite Saturday was the U.S. Army’s parachute team, The Golden Knights.
Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Reis has been a part of it for seven years.
“The view, you can’t beat it,” he told NBC Chicago's Courtney Sisk. “You get to fly by skyscrapers and look down at the beach. Everybody is out here watching you. That’s awesome.”
Saturday's show wrapped up in the afternoon, but you still have another chance to stop by.
The show will run from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. For the full lineup of performers, how to get to the lakefront and background on the annual event, head here.
