Blue Angels' plans for Memorial Day take flight

It's time for holiday lights, hot chocolate and watching the weather forecast for snow, which must mean plans for the Blue Angels' Memorial Day visit at Jones Beach are taking flight.

On Thursday, U.S. Navy Blue Angels #8 Advance Pilot Lt. Katlin Forster visited Long Island to begin preparations for the team’s ninth appearance at the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach.

"We’re planning for a great show," Forster said. "We’ll have 40 minutes of F18s flying overhead in various formations for people below on the beach."

The 2022 Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach will take place Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29.

This year’s Blue Angels team includes two New Yorkers: Lieutenant Scott Gooseens, left wing, who was born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, and crew chief Ariel Orengo, from the Bronx, representatives said.

The Blue Angels show will feature the second season using two new aircraft, an F18 super hornet and a C-130J Super Hercules affectionately known as Fat Albert to open the show with a 5- to 10-minute aerial performance.

Set to music and narration, seven jets will be included in the performance.

"It’s exciting to see that our next show season should be closer to a normal, fuller air show season," Forster said. "We’re happy to be coming back to Jones Beach."

The team most recently performed at the Bethpage Air Show in 2018 when 367,000 fans attended, representatives said.

Last year the team participated by recording special video messages for fans and providing exclusive video footage.

George Gorman, Long Island regional director for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said planning for the show is moving along.

"We’ve gotten some inquiries from some other performers, so over the next few weeks we hope to announce additional performers," he said. "We’re looking for a great lineup for everybody to enjoy."

Lindenhurst resident Linda Sasso said this is the most wonderful time of the year. Each December she comes to Republic Airport to see the jets in the show, but was "devastated" when she arrived Thursday and there were no jets.

"But it’s OK; I can wait until May," Sasso said. "I can’t wait to see the new planes, the show. It’s something to look forward to."