By GREGORY ZELLER //
The annual Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach is bringing back an all-time favorite for its 2023 flyby.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are set to return to Long Island May 27 and 28 for their ninth Bethpage Air Show headline performance and first since 2019.
Based at Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base, the Thunderbirds are the USAF’s high-precision Demonstration Squadron, currently flying a team of F-16C Fighting Falcons. The last time the Thunderbirds soared over Jones Beach for a full two-day visit, more than 366,000 people attended the weekend-long Bethpage Air Show, a popular production of Bethpage Federal Credit Union and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
George Gorman: Thanks, Thunderbirds!
After COVID canceled the 2020 show, the Demonstration Squadron was set to lead the 2021 comeback, but bad weather drenched that year’s show. The U.S. Navy’s famed Blue Angels squadron headlined the 2022 show.
Worth noting about that 2021 washout: After two days of rain, Bethpage Federal moved the Air Show (traditionally held on the Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend) to Memorial Day itself – and the Thunderbirds stuck around for that “unprecedented” Monday show, according to New York State Parks Long Island Regional Director George Gorman.
“We will be forever grateful to them for this decision,” Gorman said Thursday. “We have a full lineup of exciting performers this year, and of course we are very happy to welcome the Thunderbirds back to Long Island.”
Scheduled to round out that full lineup are the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Demo Team and the U.S. Navy EA-18 Growler Legacy Team, along with the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, another Bethpage Air Show frequent flyer.
Several civilian performers are also cleared for takeoff, with monoplanes, biplanes and various World War II-vintage aircraft expected to wing in and the Farmingdale State College Flying Rams returning after a successful 2022 appearance.
Knight move: The popular parachutists will drop in, again.
The 2023 show is free to watch, but standard Jones Beach parking fees apply (as do 2023 NYS Empire Pass Card benefits).
To help visitors keep track of all the performers, sponsor information and other useful details, Bethpage Federal has brought back yet another proven winner: the Bethpage Air Show Mobile App, downloadable now via the App Store and Google Play.
With the Memorial Day tradition on final approach, Bethpage Federal and its Air Show partners are thrilled, according to BFCU Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer Linda Armyn.
“We are weeks away [from] Long Island’s unofficial summer kickoff event and we couldn’t be more excited,” Armyn said in a statement. “Thank you again to all of our sponsors who help make this beloved event possible.”
