As Memorial Day weekend approaches, the skies above Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, Long Island, are set to dance with precision and power courtesy of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, leading a squadron of awe-inspiring military and civilian performers at the FourLeaf Air Show. This annual spectacle, which this Saturday and Sunday, is anticipated to draw massive crowds, with the NBC New York reporting sunny, clear skies that could lure even more than last year's staggering attendance of over 350,000.
Not only will the Thunderbirds carve through the firmament in their iconic F-16 Fighting Falcons, but they'll be joined by a lineup of performers that include the New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing with their C-17 Globemaster III and 106th Rescue Wing HC-130 / HH-60 Formation Demonstration, the United States Navy F-35C Demo Team, the United States Army Golden Knights and, ensuring a cacophony of jet-powered roars and aerial finesse, the United States Marines F-35B Demo Team along with the United States Navy Growler Demo Team, as well as the United States Navy Rhino Demo Team, not forgetting civilian aces like David Windmiller aand Aarron Deliu, described by the Long Island Press as the reigning Air Masters Cup Series champion and current Sky Grand Prix Champion.
This year marks a rebranding of sorts for the military air show; Bethpage Federal Credit Union has taken on a new leaf, quite literally, rebranding as FourLeaf Federal Credit Union. "We are proud to continue to support and help produce this extraordinary show as the FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Beach,” said Linda Armyn, president and CEO of FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, as the branch embraces not just a new name but a renewed commitment to backpacking the grandiose event," according to a statement obtained by Long Island Press.
Provisions for the event are wide-ranging, from a FourLeaf Air Show mobile app for real-time updates and show information, to hourly NICE bus service connecting showgoers with the heart of the action, and in the interest of safety the U.S. Coast Guard will enforce off-shore "No Entry Zones" marked by orange buoys boats are indeed allowed beyond the no-entry zones as forewarned. Meanwhile, parking remains a deal at a ten-spot per vehicle, and if the early weather forecasts are anything to go by, Mother Nature might just serve up the ideal backdrop for what promises to be breathtaking aerial artistry," NBC New York notes.
