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U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds to headline 2021 Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach.. This will be the eighth time the Thunderbirds have performed at the Memorial Day show.They changed dates back to Sat-Sun, May 29-30 with practice on Fri, May 28.
The Air Force’s precision flyers, whose name reflects the Native American heritage of their first home base in Arizona, typically alternate with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The Thunderbirds now make their home at Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base.
The Navy’s aviators performed last year and have taken the unusual step of already committing to performing at Jones Beach for the 2020 Memorial Day weekend show, Gorman said.
The annual air show will have many featured guests: United States Army Golden Knights - Sean D. Tucker – Team Oracle - John Klatt Airshows – “Screamin Sasquatch” - Matt Chapman – Embry Riddle - GEICO Skytypers - American Air Power Museum Warbirds - SUNY Farmingdale Aviation - 106th Rescue Wing.. Static Displays: NY Guard Military Vehicles Announcer: Rob Reider Airboss: Wayne Boggs.. Also performing at the 2021 show,will be the U.S. Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II. Dubbed the “Warthog,” this aircraft excels at supporting troops with low-altitude attacks.Though the air show is free, the usual $10 per car parking fee applies.
The military views the air shows as crowd-pleasing events to raise recruiting and showcase the talent and technology they need taxpayers to keep funding, experts say, sometimes with a few assists from social media. In recent weeks the Thunderbirds have posted about organizing their hangar and shown off midair smoke plumes.
Larry Arken, the Skytypers’ flight lead, said: “We wouldn’t miss it; it’s one of the premier shows in the country.” Skytypers member Ken Johansen, 52, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, died a few days after 2018's air show when his World War II-era plane crashed in Melville. Johansen lost control of the plane shortly after taking off from Republic Airport in East Farmingdale to go to a Maryland air show, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report.
Other performers honored the former Navy pilot by flying a “Missing Man” formation, Arken said, and the team dedicated the first show it performed after the crash to Johansen.
“We’re starting fresh,” Arken said. “He’ll always be in our hearts, no doubt about that.”
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Jones Beach, Ocean Pkwy, Wantagh, NY, US 11793, Freeport, United States