Up In The Air! It's A Bird... It's A Plane....

Matthew S Parrilli

A gentle reminder, particularly to those who may be new to Chicago, that the Air & Water Show takes place this weekend, and the aircraft practice their moves in advance. Thursday and Friday prior to the show are rehearsal days.

If you hear loud and low-flying jets around Uptown, it's likely not anything nefarious. They practice over the lake, so we have a front-row seat for some of their warm-ups. This year's show will feature the Air Force's Thunderbirds, the Army's Golden Knights parachute team, and the Navy's Leap Frogs parachute team. (The entire lineup is here.)

In past years, Uptown residents have gotten great shots of the practice, like the one above. If you get a photo you'd like to share, either send it to uptownupdate@hotmail.com or post it to our Facebook page.

There may also be loud noises Saturday and Sunday as the planes leave for their next destinations and create sonic booms.

The actual show takes place between Navy Pier and Fullerton, with North Avenue Beach being the prime viewing spot.