Historic Low Attendance for Air Show

By Pam Robinson

A cancelled day of performances Saturday due to heavy rain and wind combined with cool temperatures Sunday resulted in record- low attendance numbers for the 10th annual Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach Memorial Day weekend. 

New York State Parks Deputy Regional Director George Gorman said attendance for Sunday’s air show numbered around 81,000. The 2012 Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach attracted nearly 400,000 spectators.
“We had hoped to get a maximum of 200,000 people Sunday but realized Saturday with the forecast that it was going to be under 100,000,” Gorman said. “The conditions were not beach conditions.”

In addition to challenges with the weather, air show organizers also suffered a blow in early April when the U.S. Air Force announced that its Thunderbirds precision flying team was was cancelling all 2013 performances including Jones Beach due to 85 billion in federal budget cuts forced by a congressional sequestration deal struck in March. 

The 2013 Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach featured civilian performers and a second-time appearance by the Royal Canadian Air Force Supersonic F18 Demo Team.

Gorman said Jones Beach attendance remained low on Memorial Day due to continued cooler temperatures with attendance estimated at around 20,000 on the holiday. When the weather warms up, Gorman expects that many people will hit Jones Beach in 2013, especially in the aftermath of the Long Island landmark rebounding from devastation caused last fall by Hurricane Sandy.

“People are going to want to come out and support the park after Sandy,”Gorman said. “Hopefully we’ll have a sunshine summer and have attendance through the roof.”