Thunderbirds, Blue Angels to Headline Air Show

GOSHEN – Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus announced that the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds jet demonstration squadron will headline the 2018 New York Air Show and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels will be featured at the event in 2019.

The dates for the 2018 New York Air Show are September 15-16 and the 2019 event is set for August 24-25 at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor.

“The New York Air Show has had a positive impact on Orange County since we brought it back in 2015,” Neuhaus said. “It has boosted tourism, generating millions of dollars for local businesses, while showcasing our beautiful County and Stewart Airport. The New York Air Show is a wonderful community event, which celebrates the air power of the American military. We look forward to hosting it with our partners, the Port Authority and B. Lilley Productions, for years to come.”

Neuhaus added: “The fact that the U.S. military’s two elite jet demonstration teams are returning to the New York Air Show is a testament to its success.”

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, known to the entire world as the “Thunderbirds”, is the Air Force’s Ambassadors in Blue. They represent the 500,000 men and women of the United States Air Force. The Thunderbirds plan and present precision aerial maneuvers to exhibit the capabilities of modern, high-performance aircraft and the high degree of professional skill required to operate those aircraft. The Thunderbirds squadron is composed of eight pilots (including six demonstration pilots), four support officers, four civilians and more than 100 enlisted personnel.

The Blue Angels is the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron with aviators from the Navy and Marines. The Blue Angels team was formed in 1946, making it the second oldest formal flying aerobatic team (under the same name) in the world, after the French Patrouille de France formed in 1931. The six demonstration pilots fly F/A-18 Hornets in more than 30 shows at various locations throughout the United States each year, where they still employ many of the same practices and techniques used in their aerial displays from their inaugural 1946 season.

Tickets are on sale now for the 2018 show at special intro pricing. Attendees can save 40 percent off the day-of-event price when they purchase by Monday, December 11, at midnight.

Sponsorship opportunities and corporate hospitality packages are also currently available for the 2018 show and volunteer registration is open. More information is available online at airshowny.com/ or follow the show on Facebook.