Blue Angels’ rehearsal draws record crowd of 106K ahead of Jones Beach air show

Deirdre Bardolf
·2 min read
Flag display at Jones Beach with fighter jets in distance; insets of more Navy aircrafts and people on the beach
Flag display at Jones Beach with fighter jets in distance; insets of more Navy aircrafts and people on the beach

Summer is in the air.

A record crowd flocked to the shore on Friday to get a sneak preview of the annual Blue Angels air show at Jones Beach.

Once a well-kept secret, the US Navy Squadron rehearses its stunts ahead of Saturday and Sunday’s Bethpage Air Show at the oceanfront state park.

The 2024 Bethpage Air Show takes place at Jones Beach over Memorial Day weekend. NEWSDAY
The 2024 Bethpage Air Show takes place at Jones Beach over Memorial Day weekend. NEWSDAY

But a massive crowd of 106,000 gathered on Friday to marvel at the fighter jets, Newsday reported, shattering last year’s record of 67,000 people who came out for the trial run. Even with the influx, the crowds were still thinner than on the actual air show days, fans said.

The Navy’s F-35C demo team and the Blue Angels’ F/A-18 Hornet roared over the beach and parachute teams were seen free-falling from 13,000 feet, the Long Island outlet reported.

The annual two-day air show draws around 200,000 people to Jones Beach each day. NEWSDAY
The annual two-day air show draws around 200,000 people to Jones Beach each day. NEWSDAY

Last year’s annual two-day show plus the rehearsal drew 419,000 people, according to park officials.

Each day of the official air show, which is Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., draws notoriously large crowds of around 200,000 people, officials said, and signifies the unofficial kickoff of summer for Long Islanders.

The Blue Angels, formally named the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, are a big draw for the show. NEWSDAY
The Blue Angels, formally named the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, are a big draw for the show. NEWSDAY
Fighter jets like the Navy’s F-35C demo team and the Blue Angels’ famous F/A-18 Hornet team perform stunts over the beach, to music and narration. NEWSDAY
Fighter jets like the Navy’s F-35C demo team and the Blue Angels’ famous F/A-18 Hornet team perform stunts over the beach, to music and narration. NEWSDAY

The Blue Angels took the stage another way this year, in a new Prime Video documentary that followed the squad in 2022. “The Blue Angels” hit Amazon’s streaming service on May 23, The Post reported this week.

This year marks the the 20th anniversary of the Memorial Day Weekend show, as well as the 95th anniversary of Jones Beach State Park and the 100th anniversary of New York State Parks.