Oregon International Air Show Features a Historic Event

OR – In late May, Hillsboro Airport was the host of The Oregon International Air Show which featured all female pilots. The Oregon International Air Show has been Oregon’s largest aviation event since 1988. Throughout the weekend, skilled pilots performed high-flying moves for Oregon residents in attendance. But beyond aerobatics, the event provided inspiration for women looking to get into flying.

The event featured flight demos from U.S. Air Force teams flying F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet demo team. There were also performances from a pilot flying a 1940 Boeing Stearman and a skydiving demonstration from the Misty Blues Team.
Canadian pilot Anna Serbinenko felt a sense of pride being in the show. She was inspired by what it can do to help women in a male-dominated sport. Another pilot, Vicky Benzing, brought her 1940 Boeing Stearman — a biplane previously used as a military trainer aircraft.

Beyond providing entertainment for viewers, the air show benefits the community as well. The air show provides financial benefits to non-profit organizations and charities throughout southwest Washington and Oregon. According to the event’s website, more than $3.38 million has been donated back to the community and over five hundred different projects have been supported since 1988.

The air show hasn’t been held in Hillsboro since 2018. The show was canceled in 2020 and 2021 out of COVID-19 concerns, and it was moved to McMinnville in 2019 due to construction at the Hillsboro airport.