Overview
- On Friday the U.S. Army Golden Knights canceled their practice because cloud ceilings fell below 2,000 feet and visibility was limited.
- Heavy rain and a regional flood advisory on Saturday pushed the scheduled 10:30 a.m. start back to about noon while show producers and the FAA assessed flight conditions.
- After roughly a 90-minute delay on Saturday, core acts including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and other military demonstrations proceeded as skies cleared and crowds waited on the lakefront.
- Organizers, the FAA and the city’s emergency operations center are maintaining real-time coordination and say they may delay or curtail specific jumps or maneuvers if low ceilings or storms return.
- The free two-day show at North Avenue Beach draws an estimated two million people and relies on strict altitude and visibility rules for parachute teams and high-performance aircraft, which makes weather the main determinant of what flies.