Chicago Air Show 2001: Thunderbirds Among Buildings

  

The weather was pretty windy on the Sunday when I took these photos, but at least the rain of the previous day was mostly absent.   At the bottom of the shot you can see Chicago's Navy Pier, which is where a great many of America's troopships departed for Europe and World War Two.   I still haven't come to terms with how it's possible to board a ship for Europe in the middle of the United States!

  

Here the Thunderbirds fly in from the West past the top of the Sears Tower, the tallest building in the United States.

 

Here are the lead solo aircraft flying past the John Hancock Tower, which to me is a much more elegant building than the Sears Tower.

  

The full team blasts past the John Hancock tower, with the lead solos breaking away from the main group.

 

Just when you thought they wouldn't dare fly any lower over a Metropolitan area, here they are doing just that!

 

Past the ugly old Sears Tower one more time...