Thousands of spectators are expected to flock to Jones Beach State Park this Memorial Day weekend for the return of the FourLeaf Air Show, featuring high-speed aerial performances by military and civilian pilots, including the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Long Island native David Windmiller.
The event will take place Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh. Admission is free, but parking costs $10, according to the event website. Last year’s show drew an estimated 353,000 attendees.
Among the performers is Melville resident David Windmiller, a 61-year-old father of five who has been a fixture at the show for years. Even when he reduced his performance schedule while raising his children—his youngest is now 23—he continued to fly at the Jones Beach event.
“It’s basically a Formula 1 car in the air,” Windmiller said of the Zivko Edge 540 aircraft he flies. “There are no frills at all in the airplane. It’s built of carbon fiber, and it weighs very, very little but it’s built strictly for competition and an incredible vertical performance,” he told the South Shore Press.
For those new to aerobatics, he said, “The entire show is very high energy, so there’s a lot of rolling and flipping and all kinds of crazy things that people would never see any other aircraft do.”
Windmiller began flying at age 14—initially without parental consent, according to his website—and said the activity is central to his identity. He also flies passenger planes, though he finds aerobatics more rewarding.
“I fly every day, and regular flying is quite boring,” he said. “When flying is something you enjoy, you want to take it to the max, as far as you can take it, and once you develop the skill, you don’t want to lose it.”
He no longer participates in offshore powerboat racing, though he still enjoys boating. He said the dangers of racing boats at 170 to 180 mph offshore, or 50 to 60 mph off the beach, exceed those of aerobatic flying.
In addition to his appearances at Jones Beach, Windmiller was selected for the U.S. Aerobatic Team in 1999 and competed in the 2000 World Championships in France, according to the FourLeaf website. He has competed in the “unlimited” category, described as the most demanding level of aerobatic flight.
Other scheduled performances include the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, known for their precision flying in F-16 Fighting Falcons; the American Airpower Museum Warbirds, which will fly a World War II fighter in a tribute to veterans; and the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights. Additional participants include the U.S. Navy F-35C Demo Team and the New York Air National Guard.