There is a hint of summer in the air.
Record crowds flocked to the shore on Friday to get a sneak peek at the annual Blue Angels air show at Jones Beach.
Once a closely guarded secret, U.S. Navy aviators have been rehearsing stunts ahead of the Bethpage Air Show, which takes place Saturday and Sunday at the seaside state park.
But on Friday a crowd of 106,000 people gathered to marvel at the fighter jets. Newsday reported: This broke last year’s record of 67,000 test-run attendees. Despite the increased turnout, fans said the crowd was smaller than it would be on the actual air show day.
Long Island media reported that the Navy’s F-35C demonstration team and Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets roared through the skies above the coast, while a parachute team was seen free-falling from an altitude of 13,000 feet.
Park officials said 419,000 people attended the annual two-day show and rehearsal last year.
The official air show, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, is known for drawing large crowds of about 200,000 people each day and marks the unofficial start of summer for Long Island residents, officials said.
The Blue Angels took to the stage in a different way this year with a new Prime Video documentary following the team in 2022. “Blue Angels” debuted on Amazon’s streaming service on May 23, The Washington Post reported this week.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Memorial Day Weekend Show, the 95th anniversary of Jones Beach State Park and the 100th anniversary of New York State Parks.
