Oregon International Air Show
| Oregon International Air Show | |
|---|---|
Blue Angels jet in 2007
|
|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Air show |
| Dates | July, August, rarely September |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Hillsboro Airport |
| Location(s) | Hillsboro, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°32′25.418″N 122°56′59.37″W / 45.54039389°N 122.9498250°WCoordinates: 45°32′25.418″N 122°56′59.37″W / 45.54039389°N 122.9498250°W |
| Country | United States |
| Established | 1988 |
| Attendance | 93,000 (2007) |
| Activity | static displays aerobatic displays fireworks display |
| Organized by | non-profit organization |
| Website | |
| oregonairshow.com | |
The Oregon International Air Show is an annual event held at the Hillsboro Airport in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The event began in 1988, and has an annual attendance of 65,000. It is the largest civilian air show on the West Coast of the United States. Profits from the show are distributed to local charities. The air show includes static displays as well aerobatic maneuvers.
The air show began as part of the annual Portland Rose Festival in 1988. Early names of the event included the Maxwell House Rose Festival Airshow and the U.S. Bank Rose Festival Airshow, and the event was held in June or July. The 1989 event, held in June, drew 296,000 spectators. In 1991, during a performance an aircraft wing walker had to be lowered into a speeding truck on the runway as the plane flew just above the ground after the performer had become entangled. The 1992 show included both the Blue Angels and a flight team from Russia flying SU-27s. This show marked the first time in post Cold War history that a former Soviet flight team performed in the U.S. The show had a three-day total of 122,000 visitors. The 1993 show was the first show that had rain during the event, and had a fly-over by an F-117A stealth fighter.
In 2002 the Rose Festival and the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce ceased their association with the annual event and organizers formed a non-profit group to continue the show as the Oregon International Airshow. In 2004 the United States Navy’s aerial demonstration team, the Blue Angels performed at the show, and 88,000 people attended the three-day show. The next year 77,000 were in attendance when the headline act was the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.
The 2006 event drew 58,000 spectators. On the last day after the show ended, Sunday, July 16, 2006, a Hawker Hunter jet (N58MX) flown by pilot Robert "Bob" Guilford, crashed after takeoff. After the plane was airborne, Guilford climbed about 1500 feet into the air and made a right turn. He came back around towards the Hillsboro Airport, and after his turn and passed by the airport losing altitude and speed quickly. Soon after, the Mk.58 Hunter stalled and impacted the ground in a fireball. Four houses were damaged and the pilot died on impact, but there were no casualties on the ground. After the crash, the rest of the air show was canceled. The jet had been on static display at the show, and was not an aerial performer. The pilot had taken off to return to his home in California near the end of the show when the crash occurred.
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