20th anniversary of Bethpage Air Show sees return of U.S. Navy Blue Angels as headliner for 10th time

The 20th anniversary of the Bethpage Air Show will see the return of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, and a host of teams to dazzle spectators at Jones Beach next month, officials announced this week.

Joining the headlining Blue Angels, who performed in the first air show in 2004, will be the returning military performers, the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, as well as the A-10C Thunderbolt II Demo Team, and the U.S. Navy F-35C Demo Team.

The civilian performers range from the American Airpower Museum Warbirds, the Skytypers, the Warbird Thunder Airshows, Farmingdale State College's Flying Rams, to decorated aerobatic pilot Mike Goulian and Long Island’s own David Windmiller.

The Long Island tradition will take place May 25 and May 26  from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s event will mark the Blue Angels' 10th headliner performance.

George Gorman, regional director of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation, said that spectators are in for a “real treat” this Memorial Day weekend, as 2024 is a milestone year for multiple reasons.

“Not only are we celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Bethpage Air Show, but we are also celebrating the 95th anniversary of Jones Beach State Park and the 100th anniversary of New York State Parks and the Long Island State Park Commission,” said Gorman.

The Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach is one of the largest air shows in the country, with more than 419,000 attending in 2023 and 240,000 fans attending in 2022.

The Blue Angels have strong ties to Long Island, a statement said. In their 1946 inaugural flight, the team flew Grumman Hellcats, built on Long Island.

The team then went on to fly other Grumman aircraft including the Bearcat, Cougar and Tiger, one of which hangs at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.

In 2004, New York State Parks invited Bethpage to be the title sponsor of the show, recognizing the credit union was founded by employees of Grumman Aerospace.

“The Bethpage Air Show symbolizes the credit union’s roots and is a testament to Long Island’s history in aviation,” said Linda Armyn, president and CEO of Bethpage Federal Credit Union. “It is a true collaboration and we are honored to continue to support and help produce this extraordinary show,”

In celebration of the 20th anniversary show, organizers are giving away 30,000 commemorative U.S. Navy Blue Angels signed posters to fans attending the practice show on May 24, and the weekend show May 25 and May 26.

The Bethpage Air Show is free to the public, but a standard $10 vehicle use fee will be collected each day upon entry to the state park. There is no vehicle use fee for 2024 NYS Empire Pass cardholders.