Wings Over Waukegan Air Show takes to the skies Sept. 10
The “Wings Over Waukegan” Air Show will take to the skies Saturday, Sept. 10, and will feature the U.S. Air Force A-10 Tank Killer, “the Wart Hog,” and the Navy F-18 Hornet.
Joining these aircraft will be a lineup of military and civilian performers and will include aircraft ranging from modern aerobatic planes to World War II warbirds.
One 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.
“We are excited that Wings Over Waukegan is able to bring the P-51C Mustang and traveling exhibit to the air show,” said Wings Over Waukegan Air Show boss, Jeff Clark. “We look forward to working with the professionals from CAF Red Tail Squadron to showcase this important piece of history honoring the Tuskegee Airmen.”
In addition to viewing the exhibit, a limited number of attendees can experience a thrill of purchasing a 30-minute plane ride in the P-51C Mustang for $1,500, Clark said.
The air show runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Waukegan Airport in Waukegan. Tickets cost $7 for adults in advance online at www.waukeganairshow.com or $10 at the gate. Kids under 12 are free, parking is free. The proceeds go to the Victims of 9-11 Fund.
The CAF Red Tail Squadron, a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization that is part of the Commemorative Air Force, completed a $1 million restoration of the Mustang — named Tuskegee Airmen — in 2009 and the airplane has been on the air show circuit ever since.
At each stop, its pilots and crew 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 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-foot 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 fly and fight for their country during World War II. Admission to the exhibit is free.
Air show attendees will hear how, after training at the segregated base in Tuskegee, Ala., the Tuskegee Airmen pilots were sent first to Africa and then to Italy where they distinguished themselves as American military aviators.
The airmen and their crews painted the tails of their fighters red, and as the pilots proved their skill and courage over the skies of Italy and Germany, bomber pilots soon began requesting the “red tail angels.”
The Tuskegee Airmen flew thousands of sorties and earned hundreds of medals and designations, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 in honor of their war service to the United States.