Published Jul 2, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
82 Years After D-Day, WWII Warbirds Fly Again for America’s 250th Birthday
This July 4th, witness history soar as WWII-era aircraft take to the skies over Jones Beach, commemorating the semiquincentennial.
When the FourLeaf Air Show moves to July 4 weekend for America’s 250th birthday, some of the oldest aircraft in the sky will carry more than engine noise over Jones Beach. The American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, N.Y., is preparing to fly a formation of World War II-era warbirds during the 2026 FourLeaf Air Show at Jones Beach in Nassau County, adding a living-history element to a weekend already tied to the nation’s semiquincentennial. The show, scheduled for July 5 and 6, will be headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and will include other military and international performers, according to the show’s website. The American Airpower Museum’s own air show schedule lists its participation in the FourLeaf Jones Beach Air Show from July 3 to 6, calling it a celebration of America’s 250th. For retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Clyman, the museum’s director of operations, the aircraft are not museum props. They are still flying links to the people who built, maintained and flew them. “Being a warbird pilot and custodian is a tremendous honor, yet also a responsibility,” Clyman told Military.com. “As these are ‘vintage aircraft,’ some nearing 90 years old, it is a passion to preserve and protect these national treasures.”
