Canadians, Warbirds to the Rescue at Jones Beach Airshow

This story was written by Joe Dowd.

Despite the headaches caused by a federal budget stalemate, The Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach will host an impressive, all-star line-up for its annual Memorial Day spectacular.

The Bethpage Federal Credit Union announced its roster for the 10th annual airshow that includes the Royal Canadian Air Force Demonstration Team, numerous aerial acrobatic displays and a flying armada of World War II era planes from Farmingdale's American Airpower Museum.

The Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach will take place Memorial Day Weekend  -- Saturday May 25, and Sunday, May 26. Nearly 400,000 spectators attended last year's show at Jones Beach.

The 2013 line-up includes:

• The Royal Canadian Air Force F18 Demonstration Team;
• The American Airpower Museum Warbirds; (Farmingdale's home based collection of WWII-era fighter planes and other aircraft.)
• Rob Holland Ultimate Air shows;
• The Raiders Demonstration Team;
• Kirby Chambliss of Team Chambliss;
• The Red Bull Air Force Skydiver Parachute Team;
• Misty Blues All-Woman Skydiving Team;
• Chuck Aaron of the Red Bull Helicopter Aerobatics;
• The GEICO Skytypers;
• Miss GEICO Speedboat;
• Various aeronautical acrobats.
  

In past years, appearance by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and others were among the featured attractions of the show, including last year's mighty U.S.A.F. F-22 Raptor. The federal "sequester," or automatic spending cuts, has forced the cancellation of U.S. military shows across the country.

But our northern neighbors are coming: The Royal Canadian Air Force Supersonic F18 Demonstration Team will be making their second Bethpage Air Show appearance.

Another first for this year’s show is a technological marvel of a new era: The Bethpage Air Show App, which will soon be available on iTunes.

Available for Androids and iPhones, visitors will get up-to-the-minute information on parking field availability, full access to listen to the show live with a WHLI announcer, listen to live aircraft-to-tower communications from Republic Airport.

The Bethpage Air Show will be held Memorial Day weekend at Jones Beach State Park, Wantagh, on Saturday, May 25, 2013 10 a.m.– 3 p.m. and Sunday, May 26,  from 10 a.m.– 3 p.m.

The Air Show is free to the public; the standard $10 vehicle use fee will be collected daily upon entry to the State Park.

For eastern Nassau County residents, another transit option is NICE Bus, where the newly reinstated n87 out of Hicksville's LIRR station will run hourly to Jones Beach on Saturday and Sunday, from 9:20 a.m. until 7:20 pm. Both routes will make stops at Jones Beach’s two bathhouses and the Central Mall.  The cash one way fare is $2.25, Metro Card $2.50. For more information visit www.nicebus.com.

Bethpage Federal Credit Union, a not-for-profit financial cooperative and New York's largest credit union, maintains branches in Farmingdale, Bethpage, Central Islip, Commack, Elmont, Freeport, Glen Cove, Hempstead, Huntington, Levittown, Lynbrook, Massapequa, Melville, Mineola, North Babylon, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Seaford, Bay Shore Smithtown, Roosevelt, West Babylon and Westbury.

It maintains some 425 surcharge-free ATMs including King Kullen, CVS Pharmacy, 7-11 and Costco locations throughout Long Island. For more information, call 1-800-628-7070 or visit www.bethpagefcu.com.