Summer brings all sorts of wonderful opportunities to engage in activities. Under warm skies, vacationers will travel the world to visit beaches, mountain air retreats, sports events, and tourist attractions.

For aviation enthusiasts, summer is also the "Air show season." There are great shows year-round worldwide, but under sunnier skies in the Northern Hemisphere, the 2024 air show season is well underway under sunnier skies in the Northern Hemisphere! Here is just a sampling of the great variety of airshows, big and small, global events or regional favorites,  available this year. 

Air Show History: Flying Circuses and Barnstormers

Air shows can trace their routes back to the Wright Brothers themselves. They demonstrate their brand-new inventions across the country, sometimes spectacularly, such as Wilbur Wright's 1909 flight around the Statue of Liberty.

The first official air show was held that same year in Rheims, France, and was called the Grand Semaine d'Aviation de la Champagne. After World War I, pilots banded together in "flying circuses" that traveled from town to town to perform aerial acts of courage and derring-do that, for many people, was their first exposure to the new science of aeronautics. These itinerant pilots were known as "barnstormers."

Modern air shows evolved alongside the aviation industry and are now not only an exciting form of entertainment but an essential format for marketing, promoting technical advances, and displaying the capability and readiness of national defense.

The International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) has existed since 1967. Its website features a list of the dozens of air shows scheduled across North America and around the world. It can be used as a resource to look up an airshow near you and to follow your favorite air show performers. The 2024 ICAS calendar listed 26 different air shows for the month of June alone.

Sun N' Fun

Lakeland, FL April

Sun N' Fun at Lakeland Airport in Florida is the EAA's second-largest event and serves as the informal kick-off to the air show season. Begun in 1975 as a fly-in with 365 aircraft in attendance, today's Sun N' Fun is a major trade show with over 500 exhibitors plus forums and workshops to educate attendees on safety, operations, maintenance, new products, and many other topics.

D-Day Embarkation 80th Anniversary

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North Weald Airfield, Essex, and Cherbourg, France

This year's special event is the celebration of the 80th anniversary anniversary of the very few anniversaries remaining at which actual participants in the June 4, 1944 invasion might still be alive to attend.

This milestone will be recognized by many events around the world this year. Still, this special event links the U.K. and France with a fleet of C-47 Dakotas of the D-Day Squadron Legacy Tour that departed from England carrying a massive formation of parachute jumpers who descended upon Cherbourg.

Duxford Summer Air Show

Duxford, England UK June 1-2

The legacy of the Duxford Airfield is almost as long as aviation itself. Used as a training base during the First World War, it was then used again as an RAF fighter station and American fighter base during World War II. 

It was the site of the first operational Spitfire squadron. Today, it is the home of the Imperial War Museum, which displays aviation, naval, tanks, and military vehicles.

This year's edition of the Duxford Summer Air Show also honored the 80th anniversary anniversary of the Invasion. On Saturday, a mass parachutist jump with over 100 participants jumped from the C-47 Dakotas of the D-Day Squadron Legacy Tour. On Sunday, the Dakotas overflew Duxford again on their way to the drop at Cherbourg.

Celebrate St. Louis

St. Louis, MO July 4

Celebrating Independence Day in St. Louis, MO, in grand fashion with an enormous party downtown, is a tradition that goes back for over a century and a half. 

For decades, that has included not just a parade and fireworks, but a massive festival and concerts that take place under the iconic Gateway Arch on the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Gateway Arch National Park, one of just 63 U.S. National Parks). 

Typically, hundreds of thousands of attendees enjoy sunshine, funnel cakes, headline musical acts, and a spectacular air show display just feet above the waters of the Mississippi River. After a hiatus, the air show is back. 

This year's display will include aerobatic favorites such as the Pitts Special, the Decathlon, a Stearman, a T-6, and the Extra 300. Framed by the 150-year-old Eads Bridge on the north and the Interstate 64 bridge on the south, this tight air show box always gives fans a close-up view of the capabilities of these iconic acrobatic types.

CWHM RCAF 100th Celebration

Hamilton, Ontario, CA July 6-7

The Royal Canadian Air Force turns 100 this year! The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum will honor this special anniversary anniversary celebration on July 6-7 at its facility in Mount Hope, Ontario, right at the Hamilton International Airport. 

Though it will not feature aerial demonstrations, it will be the largest gathering in 2024 of RCAF-type aircraft—from World War II to the present. Current members of the RCAF, including the Canadian Forces CF-18 Demo Team, will be in attendance to greet visitors and discuss their roles.

The Greatest Show On Turf!

Geneseo, NY. July 13-14

Here's a very unique experience. The Geneseo Airport (D52) has a single runway, just short of 5.000 ft. long and 100% grass. The best "seats" for the show, right alongside the runway, are reserved for fans who will park their cars to tailgate. 

All fans will be treated to a hometown feel at an event that includes an aviation gear swap meet and a wonderful warbird collection, including multiple P-51 Mustangs, a Spitfire, a Hurricane, and a P-40 Warhawk.

Fun fact: the airport description lists the turf runway markings as "non-standard," and adds the following details:

"R.Y. R.Y. END IS NOT CLEARLY MKD."

"RY MARKED WITH WHITE PAINT AT EDGES ONLY DURING AIRSHOW."

And finally, "5 ft. crops, one one ft. from the runway, 72 ft. right of centerline."

EAA AirVenture 2024

Oshkosh, WI July 22-28

AirVenture is the signature showcase of the Experimental Aircraft Association.

Aviation people throughout the world know this event simply by the name "Oshkosh," the lakeside town in Wisconsin where it has been held since 1969 after outgrowing its previous hosts in Rockford, Illinois, and its original fly-in site at Curtis-Wright (now Zimmerman) Field near Milwaukee. 

One hundred fifty people registered for the first fly-in event in 1953. In 2024, over 700,000 people are expected to attend (there are more than 220,000 active members of the EAA).

Flying in is still at the heart of the seven-day event, with over 10,000 aircraft arriving at Whitman Regional Airport during last year's event. Thousands of attendees camp next to or even under the wings of their aircraft. Along with the drive-in camping site, Camp Scholler, on-site campers will account for at least 40,000 people. 

AirVenture 2023 was attended by 3,365 "showplanes" - aircraft that qualify as belonging to one of the categories of Vintage, Homebuilt, Warbirds, Ultralight, Rotorcraft, or Seaplane/Amphibian aircraft - and these aircraft pilots/owners receive preferential on-site parking close to the action. 

Aircraft in each category are also eligible for judging for one of EAA's prestigious Grand Champion Awards, which are given to the finest example in each category.

AirVenture features 12 and 16 aerial performers daily, from Kyle Franklin in his Super Cub to the RCAF Snowbirds demonstration team.

True to the EAA mission, there are literally hundreds of forums, workshops, speakers, and learning opportunities. If you're interested in building your own airplane, there are educational activities on everything from the latest avionics to stitching the fabric that covers the wings of a basic airplane. 

Famed aircraft designer Burt Rutan will speak at this year's event. There is an Author's Corner where literary types can meet the writers who share their love of flying. Oshkosh is many things to many people, and as such, it is a mecca-level event for the entire spectrum of aviation.

Farnborough International Airshow

Farnbo U.K.h  UK July 22-26

Do you have a multi-billion dollar widebody order you'd like to place? Are you looking for ways to defend your nation, or deploy a satellite system? Then, you will find a commercial confab with truly global reach at the Farnborough International Airshow. 

Held every two years, the FIA touts itself as "The Apex of Aviation," focusing on cutting-edge innovation in aerospace, defense, and beyond. Farnborough attracts key industry professionals from across the world.

The diverse portfolio of exhibitors includes more than 1,250 participants from 144 countries, 250 civil, military, and space delegations, and more than 75,000 visitors from 102 countries. 

A business networking extravaganza, the 2024 edition features six focus themes: Space, Defense, Sustainability, Innovation, Future Flight, and Workforce.

Boeing Seafair Air Show

Seattle , WA  August 3-4

The Seafair event in Seattle deserves a special mention because of its historical tie to one singularly memorable moment in commercial aviation history. 

Begun in 1950 as a hydroplane boat race on Lake Washington, the event attracted tens of thousands of spectators to the very place where Boeing Aircraft had just built a jet airliner that would revolutionize air travel, shrinking travel times for hundreds of passengers at a time by a factor of two. 

The place was the airport at Renton, WA, whose runway ended at the edge of the water at the southern tip of the lake. The jet was the Dash 80, the prototype of the Boeing 707.

In 1955, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Society of Aeronautical Engineers scheduled their annual meetings to coincide with the Seafair Festival. 

Knowing how many people would be attending the hydroplane races, Boeing CEO Bill Allen asked his test pilot, Tex Johnston, to take the brand new Dash 80 up to do a pass over the event and its 200,000 spectators.

Without telling anyone beforehand, Johnston put the Dash 80 through an inverted maneuver, a one-G roll to the left in plain sight of the massive crowd, including CEO Allen, who was on a yacht on the lake below. 

He then reversed course and did it again. When called into Allen's office the next day and asked what he thought he was doing, Johnston answered, "I'm selling airplanes."

In 2024, the inverted flying will be replaced by a different Boeing product, the F/A-18, in the capable hands of the skilled pilots in the U.S. U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilots. F35s, the C-17, the World War II PBY Catalina seaplane, and a flyover of other Boeing commercial aircraft (presumably without aerobatic demonstrations) will join them on the schedule. And yes, there will be hydroplane races throughout each day.

Chicago Air and Water Show

Chicago, IL August 10 & 11

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A weekend on the water sounds like a perfect way to spend a few summer days. This is perhaps why the combination of an air show and a large body of water is so appealing to many people. Chicago is one of America's grandest shoreside cities and is a beautiful place for just such an event, held this year on August 10 and 11, Saturday and Sunday.

The first show, in 1959, was held for families of children enrolled in the Chicago Park District's day camp program. Its $88 budget covered a waterski team, a water ballet, a diving competition, and a single Coast Guard air-sea rescue demonstration. 

Today, it is viewed by a million people and is the largest free admission event of its kind in the United States. The Blue Angels and the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team will perform.

The center of the action stretches from North Avenue Beach from Fullerton Avenue to Oak Street, where people bring their lawn chairs and blankets to stake out a spot on the grass. 

Waterfront restaurants and rooftop bars also provide great views, or spectators can book a place on the many tour boats that will go out on the water for the show. Wherever one finds oneself, it is truly a special chance to see the aircraft flying in front of one of the world's most beautiful and recognizable skylines in the world.

Gold Coast Pacific Airshow

Gold Coast Australia August 16-18

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Never mind that it will be late winter Down Under. Australia's Gold Coast is a perfect place for yet another air and sea celebration. "Thrill Seekers Unite!" declares the invitation on the Pacific Airshow website. 

Four straight hours of non-stop action over the water, the Pacific Airshow promises to be "a global spectacle-scale celebration of mateship, family, friends, and awe-inspiring feats of aviation meshed with the enticing thrill of sports, entertainment, art, and technology."

It sounds like a big promise to fulfill, but with over 250,000 spectators expected to view the action from the beaches and balconies along the shore, it will most likely live up to its billing. 

Four airports—Gold Coast, Brisbane, RAAF Base Amberley, and Southport Flying Club—will be employed in staging the massive event, which will include at least 25 separate demonstrations, from F-22s and F-18s to U.S. Marine helicopters, from Royal Air Force skydivers to Gravity Industries' personal "Jet Suits."

Wings Over Camarillo

Camarillo. CA August 17-18

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Can't make the commute to Australia that weekend? Stuck here in the "Up Over?" Try this great show located where the sprawl of Southern California eases into the picturesque central coast of the Golden State.

The Camarillo Airport is home to a large Commemorative Air Force (CAF) facility, a hangar chock full of historical and educational attractions that also hosts the STEM Pavilion, where youth and their families will be inspired to participate in science, technology, engineering, and math pursuits.

For the aerial demonstration, several CAF groups will combine to display their invaluable collections of historic aircraft, including their P-51 Mustangs ("Man O' War," "Red Tail"), Hellcat, Corsair I, P-38, P-63, Zero, Spitfire Mk XIV, B-25 PBJ, and ME-108. 

Returning this year is another act that is a rare treat to see in action, Jason Somes in his Korean War-era Mig-17 "High Alpha." In addition, the Firewalker International Company will put on a truly impactful pyrotechnics display as they provide the Boom! for the simulated bomb run by the B-25 and accompanying fighter escort, a moment verandas observed.

The ramp will be crowded with static displays, with the Air Force represented by a C-17 and a C-130, U.S. U.S. Navy by a F/A-18 and an E-2 Hawkeye (radar plane), and the Army by Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters.

Cleveland National Air Show

Cleveland, OH Labor Day

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If you've got any gas left by the end of such an exciting summer, there is the historic Cleveland National Air Show at the Burke Lakefront Airport. Cleveland, Ohio's historical ties to aviation go all the way back to the 1929 inauguration of the Cleveland National Air Races, which would return throughout the thirties and forties. 

The coveted Thompson Trophy was one of the prizes, and Cleveland was the finish line of the famous Powder Puff cross-country race from Santa Monica, CA, which was won by the likes of Blanche Noyes and Amelia Earhart. Jimmy Doolittle won the 1932 Thompson Trophy here in the iconic Gee Bee "Model R-1" over a 10-mile closed course.

The air show at Burke Lakefront Airport began in the '60s without racing, emphasizing aerial demonstrations and commercial promotion.

Fun fact: Burke Lakefront Airport was also the site of the Cleveland Grand Prix of the Indy Car series. The airfield was closed to aviation traffic for the event, allowing the race cars to compete on a 2.1-mile circuit laid out on the runways and taxiways.

Whether your interests lie in building your own taildragger, provided for your nation's aerial defense, or simply wanting to witness mind-blowing aerobatics, there is something for everybody at a 2024 summer airshow. From fly-ins to international expos, the Airshow season is on! Sunscreen and a hat are highly advised. Stay hydrated, and enjoy!