History
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 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. The Thunderbirds returned in 2012, with the Blue Angels scheduled for the 2013 show.
Read more about this topic: Oregon International Air Show
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