Air Force Thunderbirds Headline an amazing display over Jones Beach

By Mike Busch

First of all I want to thank all that serve today and remember those that have died or been injured protecting our freedom this Memorial Day.

A great way to mark the occasion is to take in the Jones Beach Air Show, which for the 14th year drew huge crowds to watch both civilian and military pilots show off their amazing aircraft and precision flying skills.

While the official shows were Saturday and Sunday, the performers ran through a full practice show on Friday as well. If you don’t like crowds and traffic, this is your best bet.

I have photographed about 8 different air shows over the last few years and have found the most important factor to getting nice shots (besides decent equipment and a steady hand) is pure luck – the weather.

Clear blue skies are nice but if you can get some nice clouds and variable light you have a much better chance to get a quality photo.

That all came together on Friday as the constantly changing skies provided a dramatic backdrop to the action.

Below I have some images from the first part of the show but saving the best for last, The Air Force Thunderbirds are on pages 2,3,4 and 5.

All images taken with a Nikon D750 and Sigma 150-600mm Friday May 26th 2017 with the exception of the last three which were taken at Islip MacArthur Airport on Saturday as the Thunderbirds departed for show.