What to know about the Air Dot Show as the Blue Angels return to Central Pa. this weekend

Yahoo

19-05-2025

For the first time in 38 years, the Navy's legendary Blue Angels will be returning to the skies over Harrisburg this weekend.
The U.S. Navy's iconic Blue Angel F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet demonstration team will be among those in attendance at the Air Dot Show Tour's Central Pa. stop at Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown on Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, 2025.
Here's what to know.
Joining the Blue Angels in the air at the show will include the U.S. Air Force's F-16 demonstration team, a P-51 acrobatic performance, a performance by acrobatic pilot Michael Goulian, the West Point Parachute Team, the Air Force heritage flight, a performance by Mark Meredith in his Super Chipmunk aircraft, and a demonstration by Penn State Life Lion's Airbus H155 medical helicopter.
The Blue Angels last flew in an airshow at Harrisburg almost four decades ago in 1987, according to records.
On the ground, the show will allow visitors to see several aircraft up close, including the high-tech F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the KC-135 Stratotanker, the MC-130J Commando, and the P-8 Poseidon.
The Harrisburg show is the third stop on an eight-destination tour for the Air Dot Show in 2025, which next heads to Ocean City, Md., for June 14 and 15, 2025.
Following Ocean City, the air show will be in Cocoa Beach, Fla., New York City, Atlanta, Ga., and finally Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 25 and 26, 2025.
Tickets for the Saturday airshow have completely sold out, but Sunday tickets remain available as of Monday afternoon, according to the website.
Pre-event prices for Sunday begin at $69 for an individual, which is $81.38 after taxes and fees, according to the website. Discounts were available for groups, the website said. For a group of six or more, tickets begin at $43.50 per person, with a group of six costing $311.24 after fees.
Pre-event discounts on tickets end at midnight on Friday night, with same-day sales being increased prices.
Tickets are not available in-person, according to the website, and must be purchased online at www.air.show/pa-purchase-tickets.
Children that are ages 5 and under are free in general admission, and do not need a ticket.
All tickets include parking in designated color-coded parking areas, which attendees will be directed to by staff.
No re-entry is permitted upon entering the airshow site, the organizers said.
Guests were recommended to bring sunscreen, ear protection and up to a one-liter, sealed bottle of water, according to organizers. General admission guests were recommended to bring their own chairs.
Pets were not allowed into the airshow, according to the organizers. No smoking or vaping is allowed inside the event.
Organizers note ear protection is "highly recommended," especially for children under the age of five, who could be startled by the noise of the aircraft.
No outside food or beverage is allowed besides unopened, sealed water bottles at a maximum of one liter per person.
Backpacks and bags will be allowed allowed, but will be subject to security inspection upon entrance. Wagons and strollers are allowed, but may also be searched.
Cameras of all kinds were allowed, and attendees were encouraged to take photographs.
Personal tents, awnings, and beach umbrellas are not allowed, though handheld personal umbrellas and shades attached to beach chairs were allowed.
BBQ grills are "strictly prohibited," organizers said.
Gates open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, 2025.
Aerial performances will take place between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. on the days of the show, according to the organizers.
Stage performances:
9:00 a.m. to 9:20 a.m.: Live DJ
9:20 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.: U.S. Air Force rock band
10:00 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.: Live DJ
10:20 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: U.S. Air Force F-16 demonstration team introductions
10:30 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.: U.S. Air Force rock band
11:10 a.m. to11:20 a.m.: Folds of Honor presentation
11:20 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.: Live DJ
11:45 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.: - Scott "Scooter" Yoak, P-51 pilot Interview
11:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m.: - Live DJ
12:25 p.m. to 12:40 p.m.: Opening ceremonies, invocation, and National Anthem
Sequence of aerial performances, beginning at 12:40 p.m.:
American Flag Jump by the West Point Parachute Team
Mike Goulian preview
Mark Meredith in the Super Chipmunk
Quicksilver P-51 Mustang demostration
Cyberbeast vs. Mustang
U.S. Air Force F-16 demonstration team
U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight
West Point Parachute Team
Mike Goulian
Penn State Health Life Lion
U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Residents in the surrounding area should anticipate seeing and hearing additional low-flying aircraft in the skies over the area around the airport during the airshow and in the days leading up to it.
"You will likely see planes flying all throughout the week prior to the show," according to the organizers, noting that practice sessions will take place throughout the week.
Those in the area should also anticipate parachute demonstrations, with the West Point Parachute Team performing during the show.
The busiest traffic hours, on Saturday and Sunday, are expected to be between 8 and 11a.m. prior to the airshow, and between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. following the airshow.
Viewing the airshow from a boat on the Susquehanna river is permitted in a small area on the southwest perimeter of the airshow's "Aerobatic Box Safety Zone," according to the airshow.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission shared that buoys will be placed in the river to mark a temporary exclusion zone, which will be active from May 22 through May 25, 2025.
No boats will be permitted in the northwest and southeast portion of the airshow's safety zone, and the southwest perimeter extends 12,000 feet from the flight path of performing aircraft.
Portions of the Susquehanna River will be closed to boaters on the days of the event, along with in the days leading up to the event while aircraft are practicing for the show. The secure area of the river will be actively patrolled by authorities, and activity within the area will be asked to relocate or face fines, according to Fish and Boat Commission.
According to the Harrisburg International Airport, the airport terminal building, car rental agencies, concessionaires, parking lots and the fixed-base operator services will remain open during the show.
Access to the airport will be restricted to only those with air show tickets, arriving and departing airline passengers, those picking up and dropping off airline passengers, or employees scheduled to work.
Some flights could experience a departure delay in the event it takes longer than normal to board an aircraft, and some flights could experience an arrival delay if they arrive earlier than scheduled, according to the airport.
"The air show practice and show performance schedules were given to each airline planning department months ago," the airport said. "Each airline has modified their flight schedules to minimize impact on their scheduled flights."
The FAA control tower will limit flight activity within a five-mile radius of the airport during practice sessions in the days leading up to the show, and show performances during the days of the show. Incoming and outgoing flights will be coordinated by the tower between practice and show performances.
In addition, parking along public roadways or on private property, on or near the airport, is prohibited, and will be enforced during the show, according to the airport.
According to the show schedule for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the Air Dot Show is scheduled to return to Central Pennsylvania in 2026.
Preliminarily, according to the schedule, the Blue Angels are expected to perform on Saturday, May 23, 2026, and Sunday, May 24, 2026.
Further information on the 2026 version of the airshow was not yet released.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Going to the Air Dot Show in Harrisburg this weekend? What to know