Soaring through the skies

The eagerly awaited arrival of Memorial Day on Monday is sure to be enthusiastically welcomed by everyone, after this year’s harsh winter. And, as always, the unofficial kickoff to summer fun for Long Islanders begins – and remains — with a trip to Jones Beach to watch those thrilling aerial maneuvers in the skies unfold during the Bethpage Air Show. This year’s spectacular two-day display of flying stunts over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday and Sunday, May 24-25, marks the return of an air show favorite: the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
The Blue Angels are joined by other elite military pilots, including the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs (making their second appearance since 2007) and the MV-22 Osprey — performing at the Bethpage Air Show for the first time.
As always, in addition to the military headliners, the roster features the nation’s premiere civilian pilots who continue to enthrall audiences on the air show circuit. These expert aerobatic performers include American Airpower Museum Warbirds, the GEICO Skytypers and the Miss GEICO Speedboat, Sean D. Tucker of Team Oracle, Lt. Col. John Klatt with his Air National Guard MXS, aerobatic pilot Matt Chapman, aerobatic daredevil David Windmiller, and the Red Bull Air Force team of skydivers, BASE jumpers, wingsuit fliers, and paraglider pilots, along with John Klatt Airshows’ Screamin’ Sasquatch Jet Waco Aerobatic Team, which is making its debut to the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach.
These renowned fliers will perform precision demonstrations over the shoreline at Jones Beach that continue to amaze and delight the hundreds of thousands of visitors who attend each year, gazing at those acrobatic turns and commanding displays of flying expertise.
“The Long Island community is buzzing with excitement about this year’s show, and the return of an elite military jet team,” said Linda Armyn, Bethpage senior vice resident, corporate strategy. “Each year the Blue Angels perform, we see record numbers of fans convene on Jones Beach, and that makes for an exciting holiday weekend.”