Peanut Tillman, Golden Knights, Thunderbirds Top Air And Water Show Day 2
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The crowds swelled along the lakefront for day two of the 58th Annual Chicago Air and Water Show.
Officials don't yet have an attendance count for the two-day event, however organizers planned for more than two million to pack the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street, over the course of the weekend.
Saturday, attendees got rain, but today, they got sun. Crowds turned away by Saturday's rain packed the lakefront for the largest event of its kind in the U.S. Sunday, while a little cooler, was the perfect weather to be on the beach and enjoy the show.
Half of the fun of watching is the juxtaposition of new and old. For longtime Air and Water Show goers, seeing the difference between older and newer jets, for example. "I am absolutely mystified by how far aviation has come..." Susan Dacy said.
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And the great debate continued as to what's best, the aircraft tricks or aerobatic acts.
"I like the aerobatic acts," said Whitney Guttierez. "I like how they're looping, it almost looks like a roller coaster." But her son said he prefers the big jets. "They look special, they look cool," Anais Gaston said.
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All the adrenaline felt in the sky above Lake Michigan came directly to the beach.
You might spot the thrill best through the people taking a leap of faith over Chicago's skyline--and that includes former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman, who jumped in tandem with the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights.
"My adrenaline is like on 10 right now and I'm turned up," Tillman said after his landing. "Jumping out of a plane seems like the scariest thing anyone could do."
Tillman, the son of an army sergeant, took the leap to honor the armed forces.
The U.S. Airforce Thunderbirds, a favorite for multiple years, didn't disappoint. Also performing at one of the largest free admission events of its kind, was U.S. Navy Parachute Team Leap Frogs, and a variety of other military and civilian aerial demonstration teams with daredevil pilots who performed their stunts in the above skies.
While the sunny skies and the temperatures provided a brilliant backdrop, the hope is the thrill and the temperatures can buzz the lakeshore again next year.
As for Tillman, when asked what thrill he'd be interested in lining up next, he said a solo or a bungee jump.
