CHICAGO — Low clouds grounded the Chicago Air and Water Show several times Sunday afternoon before cutting the show short.
Mary May, a spokeswoman for the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said the low visibility at Gary International Airport, where the planes take off for the show, did not meet the requirements to allow the planes to take off, which delayed the show several times.
"If the planes can't take off, they can't fly," said May, explaining clouds were hanging around 400 feet above the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration requires 800 to 1,000 feet of ceiling visibility for takeoff.
Though forecasts predicted visibility would improve, the show was delayed several times before officials finally pulled the plug on the performance around 3 p.m. Sunday, May said.
"We had a great turnout at the beach; people were hanging out for a while. It was unfortunate that we had to end early, but the weather just didn't cooperate today," May said.
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