U.S. Navy Blue Angels soar over Jones Beach

Those lazy, hazy days of summer beckon with the arrival of Memorial Day. And for many, the unofficial kickoff to summer fun starts with a trip to Jones Beach to watch some of those high flying aerial maneuvers at the Bethpage Federal Credit Union Air Show. For the seventh year, this spectacular two-day display of flying stunts over the Atlantic Ocean means that summer has arrived, for the spectators gazing at the skies over Jones Beach.
With the Jones Beach Independence Day fireworks celebration cancelled this season, the air show takes on a new importance for holiday weekend revelers.
This year, the United States Navy Blue Angels headline the event, which draws over half a million people annually. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of spectators expected, all branches of the military will be present, including the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.
The renowned Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron will perform a precision demonstration over the shorefront at Jones Beach that will elicit “oohs” and “aahs” from visitors gazing at those acrobatic turns and displays of precision. The Blue Angels team exhibits choreographed refinements of skills possessed by all naval aviators. The Blue Angels’ C-130, affectionately known as “Fat Albert,” begins each show by demonstrating its maximum performance capabilities during a 10-minute performance. Shortly thereafter, you will see the graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the four-jet Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two solo pilots. Among the many tricks, The Blue Angels Delta Formation performs the Fleur De Lis, a maneuver done in an aerial salute to the men and women of the armed forces.
Adding to the fun are the many others – both military and civilian – who take part: the Canadian Forces F-18 Demo Team, United States Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, A-10 East Demo Team, United States Air Force Heritage, 106th New York Air National Guard Air Flight Rescue Demo HC-130/HH-60, Sean D. Tucker and his Oracle Bi-Plane, Julie Clark, Matt Chapman, John Klatt of the National Guard Reserve team, GEICO Skytypers, Ed Hamill “Living the Dream,” American Air Power Museum Warbirds, Warbirds Over Long Island, David Windmiller, Chuck Aaron with a helicopter and parachute demo, Red Bull Race Pilot Kirby Chambliss, and more.

The event is always a big draw, with throngs of people who show up early each day to stake out a prime viewing spot. There are some ways to avoid the crowds, such as watching the show from the top of Norman J. Levy Preserve in Merrick (most of the show will be visible there) or parking along Route 109 in Farmingdale and watching the planes leave from Republic Airport.
The air show is held Saturday and Sunday, May 29-30, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. each day. It is free to the public but the standard $10 vehicle use fee will be collected each day upon entry. Showgoers are advised to arrive before 1 p.m. for the best parking spots. For more information, call (631) 321-3510 or www.jonesbeachairshow.com.

U.S. Marine Corps Landing
The action in the skies is not just over Jones Beach. Eisenhower Park’s Kite Field is once again the landing area for a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter squadron on Saturday, as part of New York City’s “Fleet Week 2010” activities. The event, billed as “Raid New York” by the United States Marine Corps, is the largest Marine helicopter landing on Long Island. It begins at 10 a.m.
The MV22 Osprey, a multi-mission tilt-rotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing and short takeoff and landing capability, will make a dramatic landing in the park. The Osprey, joined by CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters and AH-1W Cobras, will perform an area sweep and will transport the raid force Marines to the landing zone. Once on the ground, the Marines will perform an assault demonstration, after which helicopters will land and be on public display, along with the weapons typically used by a Marine Corps rifle platoon.
Marines supporting this event are part of a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force from Camp Lejeune, N.C., and have recently returned from Afghanistan, Iraq and Haiti.
The demonstration is free to the public. It takes place on the Kite Field, just south of the Veterans Memorial in Eisenhower Park, with parking at fields 6 and 6A. For more information, call (516) 572-0396.