Long Island Aviation

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Hello all! It's been quite a while since the air show concluded, but I just wanted to thank you all for the emails and support. Website hits are steadily increasing each year, so I must be doing something right!

On another topic, back to the airplanes! As most of you are aware, the US Open is in town (my condolences to anyone in Nassau County who will have to deal with the traffic). But this means several high-end business jets from many high-end golfers, plus Snoopy and the Met Life blimp are in town.

Thunderbird departure is slated for Monday morning around 11:00am. Keep an eye out for their C-130's or possibly a C-17 in the morning to pick up their gear. Snowbirds are slated to depart between 11:00am and 12:00pm on Tuesday.

A-10 Departure should be around 10:00am Tuesday.

Friday's Thunderbird practice, while planned the entire time, was apparantly a big hush-hush secret. Oh well, it was better than not seeing them flying at all, I suppose.

The schedule for the show should follow pretty close to the practice schedule, which is:

10:00 – 10:30 Golden Knight Flag/Jump
10:31 – 10:41 David Windmiller
10:42 – 10:52 Red Bull Mig
10:53 – 11:03 Red Bull Helicopter, Parachuters
11:04 – 11:14 Matt Chapman
11:15 – 12:00 Canadian Forces Snowbirds
12:01 – 12:13 Warbirds
12:14 – 12:39 A-10 & Heritage
12:40 – 12:58 GEICO Skytypers
12:59 – 1:12 Ed Hamill
1:13 – 1:28 F-18 Demo
1:29 – 1:39 The Horsemen
1:40 – 1:55 Sean Tucker
2:00 – 2:45 Thunderbirds
2:46 – 3:21 106th Rescue Wing

Thunderbirds take off from Republic at 1:30pm.

Expect the 3 Horesmen "early tomorrow." Practice at Jones Beach will run from 9am - 2pm. The Snowbirds will participate, the Thunderbirds will not. There is a rumor flying around (no pun intended) that the Thunderbirds will be departing at some point tomorrow to do a flyover somewhere. There will be a Thunderbirds "Meet and Greet" at the main terminal at 2:00pm, so if they do leave for somewhere, they will be back by then.

This is the part of the week where schedules change lightning-quick, and it's nearly impossible to keep up with, especially with many false rumors that get passed along in what is basically a massive game of Telephone. So, here is my advice: If you go to the beach, you will have a great time, crowds won't be too big, but the Thunderbirds won't fly. If you want to hang out at Republic, get there as early as you can, or stretch your lunch break as much as you can without getting fired. Chances are, you will see something cool. Have fun, and be safe!

I added a tentative practice schedule for Friday on the Jones Beach page, but it doesn't necessarily mean that all the performers will fly - they may just sit thier slot out. The lineup for Saturday and Sunday usually changes after the practice, so that is the earliest you will see a schedule for the show.

The flashing orange signs outside of the Republic Airport terminal are apparently saying that Snowbird arrival will be at 12:30pm on Thursday. Since the Thunderbirds arrived earlier than the posted 1:05pm time, I am going to play it safe and set the arrival for between 11:30am and 1pm.

1:00pm: Latest intel says Snowbirds will do their survey flight before landing at Republic and before the Thunderbirds practice, and the Thunderbirds will not practice on Friday.

Long day. Some of the predicted events were spot on, others were completely wrong, and some were close enough. Plus, a few surprises were thrown into the mix. Anyway, here is what we have learned for the next few days:

Who is aleady here: Thunderbirds, one Snowbird, Red Bull MiG/Hellicopter, Sean & Eric Tucker, John Klatt, David Windmiller, Skytypers, AAM Warbirds. Instead of a C-17, the Thunderbirds used 2 seperate C-130s (one made two trips), which dropped off equipment and promptly left.

Wednesday: No T-bird flights, though there should be one or two media flights.

Thursday: Thunderbirds will practice over the Beach from 12:30 till 2pm. The Snowbirds are scheduled for a "Survey Flight" from 1:30 to 2:30, meaning they will probably fly around Jones Beach once the Thunderbirds are done just to get a feel for the area. This means they will arrive before 1:30pm, but will it really be 6am? Still seems a bit far fetched, but who knows. Just don't complain to me if you wake up super early and they don't show up (but you can buy me a "thank you" lunch if they do).

Friday: There is an 87.3% chance that the Thunderbirds will fly in the practice on Friday, along with the Snowbirds (ie, hasn't been confirmed but it is highly likely).

The parking lot right next to the terminal has been rented out to a TV show filming crew, and it is all full of trailers. Apparantly they will be gone by Thursday evening. Still no sign of the 3 Horsemen yet. They may be due in Friday.

Oh, and if you would like to see my photographs, check out dfalk.smugmug.com

Hey folks, just a friendly reminder to keep an eye on the comings and goings around Republic over the next few days. Now that this past weekend's airshows have come to an end, we will see performers and other unexpected aircraft start to filter in. As I stated below, some approximate arrival times are listed on the Jones Beach page - if I get more accurate info, I will update that list. I will most likely be hanging out around Republic airport and the beach, so updates from me will probably only come in the evenings. However, if I can find some power outlets in the terminal (or the middle of the Home Depot parking lot?), I might just post updates straght from there (my laptop battery can hardly hold a charge anymore).  Happy spotting!

**11:00pm Update: Several important additions to the arrival/departure schedule have been added on the Jones Beach page. This includes arrival times for the Thunderbirds, Snowbirds, F-18s and A-10s. Keep in mind, they are all tentative and can change at a moment's notice, but they should be a good start.**


Thunderbird #8 has arrived! It seems to have caught just about everyone by surprise, but currently should be parked by the Main terminal. Earlier today they tested the arresting gear cable, and apparantly everything is a-okay.

In other news, if you are unable to make it to the show, then check out the live video simulcast on Ustream.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/New-York-Jones-Beach-Airshow-Live-By-Sprint

The FAA has published a NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) for Jones Beach. You can read the technical information here, but it basically boils down to this: the "air show box" (the area in which aerobatics are allowed to take place) will be in effect at the following times:

Thursday, 12:30pm - 2:00pm
Friday, 9:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday, 10:00am - 3:30pm
Sunday, 10:00am - 3:30pm

The Thursday time slot suggests that one of the jet teams, either the Snowbirds or the Thunderbirds, will be practicing at that time. Since the Snowbirds are scheduled to arrive on Thursday, my prediction is that the Thunderbirds will practice only on Thursday, and the Snowbirds will be in the practice airshow on Friday. This would mean that the Thunderbirds would not be in Friday's practice. This is just my guess, keep in mind. When I hear the official schedule, I will be sure to post it here immediately.

The FAA has published a NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) for Jones Beach. You can read the technical information here, but it basically boils down to this: The "air show box" (the part of the sky in which aerobatics are allowed to take place) will be in effect at the following times:

Thursday, 12:30am - 2:00pm
Friday, 9:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday, 10:00am - 3:30pm
Sunday, 10:00am - 3:30pm

The Thursday time slot suggests that one of the jet teams, either the Snowbirds or the Thunderbirds, will be practicing at that time. Since the Snowbirds are scheduled to arrive on Thursday, my prediction is that the Thunderbirds will practice only on Thursday, and the Snowbirds will be in the practice on Friday. Keep checking back for the official answer within the next few days.

Sean Tucker should be in town by Tuesday morning, since he will begin his media flights that afternoon. A chase plane carrying photographers and videographers from local media outlets will follow Mr. Tucker's plane over varuous landmarks around Manhatten and Jones Beach. Scheduled flight times are:

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 @ 12:30 PM & 3 PM

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 @ 10 AM, 12:30 PM & 3 PM

Thursday, May 21, 2009 @12:30 PM & 3 PM

Friday, May 22, 2009 @ 10 AM

So, if you happen to be at Republic (or Jones Beach, or the Statue of Liberty, etc) around these times, then there's a good chance you will see a red biplane flying overhead. Oh, how I wish I was a legitimate media organization...

Latest intel says that the Thunderbirds will arrive sometime on Tuesday, and the Snowbirds will arrive on Thursday. The practice air show on Friday will run from 9:00am to 2:00pm. The real air show will still run from 10:00am to 3:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.

NYC Fleetweek 2009 information has been added here.

I currently have the Thunderbirds arrival listed as Thursday and practice on Friday. These dates have not been confirmed and are based on thier standard operating procedure. Two years ago, they arrived and practiced at different times because the #1 Pilot had an interview with The Daily Show on Friday afternoon. If anythings changes I will post it here, so keep checking back for updates.

Also, WHLI 1100AM will be broadcasting the air show audio on Saturday and Sunday, so you will be able to listen to the PA audio from the beach no matter where on the Island you may be.

Another note: Does anyone know where I might be able to find some free wifi access around Republic? I think it would be cool if I could post updates while I'm at the airport. Let me know by email at admin@longislandaviation.info.

Unfortunately, John Klatt had to cancel his appearance at Jones Beach this year. Quite a bummer, since he always put on one heck of a show.

Hurricane Season is just around the corner. Celebrate this exciting time of year on Tuesday, May 5th, with the NOAA Hurricane Team's Atlantic Coast Awareness Tour! From 2:30-4:30pm, swing by Republic Airport to check out their Lockheed WP-3 Orion up close and personal. Any aircraft (or flight crew) that flies straight through a hurricane on purpose gets a big thumbs up in my book, so it is certainly worth a visit.

Sorry about the lack of air show updates, I promise to be more active once I finish my educational commitments within the next week or so...

Gah! My tardiness is becoming quite the problem lately. I apologize for the abnormally slow updates. To make up for it, I'll give the next few additions to the civilian lineup slightly larger fonts than everyone else:

David Windmiller

Matt Chapman

John Klatt

Also confirmed is the participation of our local warbird troupe from the American Airpower Museum and Warbirds Over Long Island. Don't be surprsed to see some local heros from the 106th Air National Guard unit doing a demo as well.

Sorry about the Snowbird no-show the other day, apparantly he cancelled due to weather reasons. However, to make up for that wild goose chase, I can say with certainty that the

A-10 East Coast Demo Team

and a

P-51 / A-10 Heritage Flight

will be joining the Jones Beach flight line! Huzzah!

Another update! Add to the performance list a demo from the biggest, baddest of the bugs, the

F-18F Super Hornet

On May 5th, keep an eye out for a Hurricane Hunter WC-130 to stop by Republic. Yes, I know that's a long way away, but if I didn't write it down here, I probably would forget about it.

Sorry for my perpetual absence, friends. I've been super busy as usual. However, upon hearing of the following news, I just had to sacrifice some sleep in order to give you an update. It is official that Jones Beach will be visited by the graceful

Canadian Air Force Snowbirds

in addition to our beloved Thunderbirds. That update not good enough for you? Well, how about a few more acts to add to the list?

Sean Tucker

3 Horseman P-51 Demo (Jim Beasley, Dan Friedkin, Ed Shipley)

Bill Reesman and the Red Bull MiG

Kirby Chambliss and the Red Bull Edge

Chuck Aaron and the Red Bull Helicopter

As you can tell, the Red Bull crew will be hitting the beach with a full-force assault. My apologies for my delay with this massive amount of information that is just as energizing as Red Bull itself. 

Not enough aviation action to keep you entertained during these frigid winter months? Check out this awesome slide show put together by photographer Chris Corradino, containing images from air events around the New York area.

Need For Speed Slide Show

You can see his other photographic work at www.christography.com

Hear ye, hear ye! Be prepared to listen to the Airshow Announcer stylings of

Rob Reider

and see the stunning visual aerobatic displays of

Ed Hamill

at Jones Beach this summer!

No surprises here, as we add to the 2009 air show attendance list:

US Army Golden Knights

Geico Skytypers

American Airpower Museum Warbirds

Warbirds Over Long Island

Hello aviation fans! I have awoken from the dead in order to inform you that the

USAF Thunderbirds

will be returning to Jones Beach for the 2009 airshow, which will take to the skies on Memorial Day weekend, May 23rd and 24th.

Hello Folks,

I'm attempting to update this website a bit, and expand my presence on the internets. For starters, I've created a new domain,

LongIslandAviation.info

Currently, it just redirects to this page, but the address is much easier to memorize than the real thing. So if you're trying to tell your good chums about this amazing website/blog that tells you everything you need to know about the Jones Beach Air Show and beyond, you can simply give them that address instead of fumbling around with the original one. I have also updated my email to

admin@longislandaviation.info

so please update your address books and use this from now on.