Oregon International Airshow
Encyclopedia
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.
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 1990 event, held in June, drew 125,000 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 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.
The 2007, event featuring the Blue Angels drew 93,000 spectators. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were the headline act at the 2009 show. The show also featured a B-25 World War II
bomber, biplanes, the U.S. Army Golden Knights, Robosaurus
, and drew 87,000 spectators.
, an F-15 Eagle
, a MiG-17
and MiG-21
, an F-104G
, an A-26 Invader
, an UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, a T-1A Jayhawk, and a HC-130 Hercules among others.
Aerobatic displays have included on multiple occasions the U.S. Army Golden Knights, the Air Force's Thunderbirds, the Navy's Blue Angels, Patty Wagstaff
, and the Patriots Jet Demonstration Team. Other performances have come from the Oregon Air National Guard
, the Red Bull
MiG, the Experimental Aircraft Association
, Hammerhead Aerobatics, drag-races between jet cars and aircraft, and a man pulling a C-130 cargo plane.
Hillsboro Airport
Hillsboro Airport , also known as Portland-Hillsboro Airport, is the name of a corporate, general aviation and flight-training airport serving the city of Hillsboro, in Washington County, Oregon, USA. It is one of four airports in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area owned and operated by the...
in Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The event began in 1988, and has an annual attendance of 65,000. It is the largest civilian air show
Air show
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
on the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. Profits from the show are distributed to local charities
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
. The air show includes static displays as well aerobatic maneuvers.
History
The air show began as part of the annual Portland Rose FestivalPortland Rose Festival
The Portland Rose Festival is an annual civic festival held during the month of June in Portland, Oregon. It is organized by the volunteer non-profit Portland Rose Festival Association with the purpose of promoting the Portland region...
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 1990 event, held in June, drew 125,000 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 1993 show was the first show that had rain during the event, and had a fly-over by an F-117A
F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
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
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
’s aerial demonstration team, the Blue Angels
Blue Angels
The United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, was formed in 1946 and is currently the oldest formal flying aerobatic team...
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
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the U.S. Air Force , based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially marked USAF jet aircraft...
.
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
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
Hillsboro Airport
Hillsboro Airport , also known as Portland-Hillsboro Airport, is the name of a corporate, general aviation and flight-training airport serving the city of Hillsboro, in Washington County, Oregon, USA. It is one of four airports in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area owned and operated by the...
, 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
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
near the end of the show when the crash occurred.
The 2007, event featuring the Blue Angels drew 93,000 spectators. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were the headline act at the 2009 show. The show also featured a B-25 World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
bomber, biplanes, the U.S. Army Golden Knights, Robosaurus
Robosaurus
Robosaurus is a transforming dinosaur robot created by inventor Doug Malewicki in 1989 and is currently owned and operated by Monster Robots, Inc. Robosaurus is modeled after Transformers toys with the driver sitting in the head of the robot, and the ability to transform from a 48-foot semi trailer...
, and drew 87,000 spectators.
Displays
Displays at the air show include aerobatic demonstrations and static displays on the ground. Static displays in the past have included items such as Robosaurus in 1999 and 2009, as well as classic and modern aircraft. Aircraft on display in previous shows include an F-86 SabreF-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, an F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
, a MiG-17
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the USSR from 1952 and operated by numerous air forces in many variants. Most MiG-17 variants cannot carry air-to-air missiles, but shot down many aircraft with its cannons...
and MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
, an F-104G
F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
, an A-26 Invader
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, an UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, a T-1A Jayhawk, and a HC-130 Hercules among others.
Aerobatic displays have included on multiple occasions the U.S. Army Golden Knights, the Air Force's Thunderbirds, the Navy's Blue Angels, Patty Wagstaff
Patty Wagstaff
Patty Wagstaff is an aerobatic pilot from the United States. Wagstaff traveled all over the world as a child: her father was a pilot for Japan Airlines, and Wagstaff would travel to Southeast Asia, Australia and Alaska to prepare for her own career as a pilot...
, and the Patriots Jet Demonstration Team. Other performances have come from the Oregon Air National Guard
Oregon Air National Guard
The Oregon Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is, along with the Oregon Army National Guard, an element of the Oregon National Guard...
, the Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
MiG, the Experimental Aircraft Association
Experimental Aircraft Association
The Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....
, Hammerhead Aerobatics, drag-races between jet cars and aircraft, and a man pulling a C-130 cargo plane.