Great Lakes Drone Company/Starlight Aerial Productions
As the perfect grand finale to Friday Night's Twilight Show and the ultimate kickoff to Gary Air Show weekend, Great Lakes Drone Company and Starlight Aerial Productions will light up the night sky with a breathtaking symphony of synchronized drones weaving intricate patterns, iconic shapes, and dazzling animations — all choreographed to an immersive musical score. This stunning fusion of precision engineering and aerial artistry promises a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave spectators of all ages absolutely mesmerized. Get ready — Gary Air Show weekend begins in the most spectacular way imaginable!
Erik Edgren Airshows
Get ready to laugh, gasp, and cheer as Erik Edgren takes to the skies in his one-of-a-kind 1939 Taylorcraft "T-Clips," a highly modified vintage aircraft that blends jaw-dropping precision aerobatics with hilarious stick-and-rudder comedy for a performance unlike anything else in airshows today! Catch Erik's electrifying twilight performance on Friday night before he returns to thrill the crowds again on Saturday and Sunday with deadstick and power-on aerobatics, and feats this 85-year-old airplane was absolutely never designed to do. This is old-school flying skill and pure showmanship at its finest — you won't want to miss a single second!
Redline Airshows
Redline Airshows is renowned for their spectacular night show. Equipped with specially modified wing tips, their Van’s RV-8s light up the sky with dazzling fireworks launched directly from the aircraft. This unique blend of aerobatics and pyrotechnics creates a mesmerizing aerial display that leaves audiences spellbound, making Redline a highlight of any airshow.
MiG-17F
From the moment the afterburner ignites on takeoff, the legendary MiG-17F commands every eye in the crowd, delivering heart-pounding passes down the show line just 20 feet off the ground at over 600 mph — with a stunning 30-foot afterburner flame blazing behind it! Made famous as the primary enemy fighter engaged by U.S. aircraft over Vietnam, this meticulously restored Cold War icon brings a piece of history to life with raw power, incredible agility and spine-tingling aerobatics that will leave you absolutely speechless.
Don't miss this rare and thrilling spectacle as the MiG-17F lights up the skies over Gary all three days of the air show — including a breathtaking twilight performance you'll never forget!
Rhino Demonstration Team
The U.S. Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet Demonstration Team, the legendary "Rhino Demo Team", headlines this year's Gary Air Show with a breathtaking 15-minute tactical demonstration of the F/A-18F Super Hornet. Experience the raw power of 44,000 pounds of twin-engine thrust as Navy aviators push this iconic carrier-based fighter through an awe-inspiring display of speed and maneuverability. Don't miss your chance to witness one of naval aviation's most thrilling performances and see firsthand why the "Rhino" has been the Navy's ultimate workhorse for over 40 years!
Misty Blues All Woman Skydiving Team
Although only 15% of the 35,000 active skydivers are women in North America, the Misty Blues team is 100% women! These exceptionally talented and brave ladies come from all across the U.S. to demonstrate their amazing skydiving skills and parachuting talents that make them some of the most skilled skydivers in the world. They do things in the air that make people look up into the sky and feel excitement, patriotism or the thrill of a shocking visual treat.
Susan Dacy 'Big Red'
Susan is one of only a few females performing airshows in a biplane, and is the only woman flying exhibition in the Super Stearman.
Attending airshows as a child, Susan remembers being in awe of the big, loud, smoky biplanes. As a teenager, yearning to fly, Susan felt the only way to fly a Stearman was to have one of her own. At the family airport, located in Harvard, Illinois, Susan worked in the office, fueled planes and eventually acquired a rebuildable Stearman Project. While in high school, every spare hour was spent restoring the aircraft, which she still owns and operates today.
Step back in time as Susan Dacy puts her 450 horsepower, Super Stearman, ‘Big Red’ through its paces with a dazzling display of barrel rolls, slow, slow rolls, Cuban eights, hammerhead turns, loops and much more, in a style reminiscent of the barnstorming era of flying.
RJ Gritter Airshows
The son of a test pilot dad and a flight instructor mom, RJ Gritter has been in the cockpit his entire life. He soloed on his 16th birthday and got his private pilot license on his 17th. RJ developed a passion for aerobatics through radio-control (R/C) flying, giving him a strong background for "full-scale" aerobatic flying. RJ is SAC certified for surface-level solo and formation aerobatics, comedy, wingwalking and circle-the-jumper.
RJ's Decathlon sports a patriotic red, white and blue paint scheme and pours brilliant white smoke for a great presence in the air!
Kevin Coleman
Kevin Coleman began airplane and aerobatic flight lessons at the age of 10 in his family’s Decathlon aircraft from aerobatic Hall of Fame Legend Marion Cole. He soloed at age 16 and earned his pilot’s license at age 17 flying his first air show performance at age 18. He was the first American to fly in the Challenger Class of the Red Bull Air Race and earned a spot on the prestigious U.S. Advanced Aerobatic Team.
Crowds will be thrilled as they see this amazing performer in action rolling his Extra 300 aircraft at 400 degrees per second and performing daring maneuvers at +/- 10 G’s. You won’t want to miss this sensation in action.
Ed Hamill - Folds of Honor Biplane
Ed performs in the Folds of Honor Biplane, raising awareness and funds for the charity’s mission to provide educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled military and first responders. The performance honors the sacrifices made for our freedoms we enjoy in the greatest country in the world.
Trojan Phlyers
The Trojan Phlyers are the world's only formation aerobatic T-28B Trojan team, delivering a thunderous 2,850 combined horsepower of smoke, noise and precision flying that has thrilled air show crowds for more than 25 years! Piloted by decorated combat veterans, these masters of formation and solo aerobatics pay a powerful tribute to America's military heritage while showcasing the timeless engineering brilliance of the legendary North American Aviation Company. Don't miss your chance to witness this one-of-a-kind spectacle at the Gary Air Show!
Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!
Interested in sponsoring the Gary Air Show? Please email airshow@southshorecva.com for more information.
Gary Air Show Contact Information:
(219) 301-7752 or airshow@southshorecva.com.