Big Jones Beach air show crowds expected

Despite earlier concerns of low-flying clouds and fog this weekend, the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach is expected to start on time, event organizers said.

The temperature is expected to reach a high of 77 degrees Saturday with no rain in the forecast. Saturday night temperatures are expected to drop in the mid 60s with patchy fog after midnight.

The aviation exhibition will probably be a huge success because it combines the Memorial Day weekend with a beach setting for the eighth consecutive year, said George Gorman, deputy regional director of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

A practice run Friday was delayed about 90 minutes by fog over Jones Beach. It started about 12:30 p.m., Gorman said.

"If the same thing happens Saturday or Sunday, we'll delay the start of the show," he said. Of the 14 previous shows over seven years, Gorman said only one started late because of the weather.

The National Weather Service predicted morning fog along the shore.

Gorman said even without the F-22A Raptor among its main attractions, the air show "still has a phenomenal lineup" that includes the Army's Golden Knights Parachute team, the 106th New York Air National Guard World War II B-17 Flying Fortress. Among newcomers will be a bomber formation of a B-17, a B-25 and a B-29.

"No matter what the lineup is, it's always an opportunity for families to get out and enjoy the summer setting at the beach," he said.

Fans will see fighter jets, with a team of F-18 Super Hornets subbing for the Raptors, Gorman said. The Raptors were grounded by the Pentagon earlier this month amid concerns over pilot oxygen supply.

The air show attracts as many as 400,000 fans, said Gorman and Linda Armyn, a senior vice president of show sponsor Bethpage Federal Credit Union.

Weather always is a factor when it comes to attendance, Armyn said.

"The fans of air shows come out for the show, and then there are always others who come for the beach and the holiday," Armyn said. "For the most part, people will come because it's a day at the beach."