Air shows are not planned to be a big part of my year this year.  However, I did take the time to go a short distance out of the city recently to a small event that I like.  Clow is an airport down in Bolingbrook, southwest of downtown Chicago.  The airport holds an event every year for the local community to show what goes on at the airport and to try and generate interest in the aviation industry.  It is not an airshow.  There is not a flying display.  However, a number of aircraft do visit and make some passes to show the crowd some interesting aircraft.

A number of aircraft are on display.  Some warbirds show up and the EAA owned Ford Trimotor was providing rides throughout the event.  Usually they have some parachutists displaying throughout the event (and I have previously shot them at work) but, unfortunately, the weather did not prove to be cooperative this year and the cloud base was too low to allow them to jump.

A number of aircraft manufacturers have their aircraft on display with Cessna, Piper, Cirrus and Diamond all having aircraft available to view by potential (and wishful thinking) buyers.  Eclipse also brought one of their Total Eclipse 500 aircraft.

I was most interested in getting some shots of the aircraft either flying or on display but an event like this is also about seeing how the crowds interact with the aircraft and their owners.  It is a very open event with people having the chance to get close to the aircraft and the operations.  Since the conditions weren’t great, I often put down the camera and just watched everyone having fun.  (Obviously no pictures of that!)