Oregon International Air Show

After the Rose Festival Association gave him the green light, he rounded up the top aerobatic acts in the country and enlisted the help of the U.S. Navy Recruiting to request the Blue Angels to headline the first show in 1988.

[4] The show was originally only a two-day public event (Saturday and Sunday only) with Friday being the exclusive "Arrival Day" for special needs children and their chaperones.

Sales topped over $100,000 in its first year, according to James Cox (chairman at that time), making it an instant hit in the Portland area.

[7] During the Saturday performance in 1991, Lee Oman - an aircraft wing walker - had to be lowered into a speeding truck on the runway as the plane flew just above the ground after the performer slipped from position and was caught by the safety wire that was tethered to the landing gear.

[8] The 1992 show included both the Blue Angels and the Russian Knights in SU-27 fighter jets.

"[10] On September 20 & 21, the first "Oregon International Air Show" took place at the Hillsboro Airport, celebrating 100 years the Wright Brothers' first controlled, sustained flight on December 17, 1903.

In 2004, Oregon Air Show president and executive, Judy Willey & Don McCoun, added Friday evening to the two-day public event, sporting Friday evening as a twilight show.

That year, the United States Navy's Blue Angels and "Fat Albert" performed at the show.

[19] In late 2014, president Judy Willey stepped down, replaced by Bill Braack, then the Air Show's Director of Operations.

Unfortunately, due to rain on Sunday, the Red Arrows announced they would not fly as a safety precaution.

Static displays have included Robosaurus, F-86 Sabre, F-15 Eagle, MiG-17, MiG-21, F-104G, A-26 Invader, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, T-1A Jayhawk, a HC-130 Hercules, and many others.

[25][26] July 16, 2006: After the show ended on Sunday, a Hawker Hunter jet (N58MX) flown by pilot Robert "Bob" Guilford, crashed after takeoff.

Dolores Bowman was the Administrative Vice President for Jefferson High School and Rose Festival Director.

Two years later, in addition to inviting disabled children to the event, the Air Show granted scholarships to local organizations like Self-Enhancement, Inc., Warren Strickland Foundation for Airway Science (now Airway Science for Kids), OMSI, Albertina Kerr, and Doernbecher.

After splitting from the Rose Festival in 2002/2003, organizers moved the day to Sunday so the children could see the show rather than the performer arrivals.