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3:58 min January 01, 2023

Get Ready for the 2023 Great Pocono Raceway Airshow

The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels will be headlining the 2023 Great Pocono Raceway Airshow!

The action is typically centered around the track at the Pocono Raceway, but coming up in just a few months, all eyes will be on the sky.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels recently touched down, with Tricky in tow, to promote their headlining act in The Great Pocono Raceway Airshow, taking flight Memorial Day Weekend of 2023.

“It's the first time we're ever going to be here at the Pocono Raceway, so we're incredibly excited. It's going to be a fantastic show and we're excited to get here and start this planning process,” said LCDR Thomas Zimmerman, Blue Angel #7.

Known for its NASCAR events and family-friendly atmosphere, the Pocono Raceway is the perfect place for an airshow, with spacious grandstand seating and unobstructed views. The Tricky Triangle last hosted an airshow in 2021, with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and other great performers giving quite the show.

“We look at ourselves as having a very unique, multi-purpose venue. Speed and excitement are in our DNA, so an airshow fits right in with that,” said Ricky Durst, Senior Director of Marketing & Analytics.

The Great Pocono Raceway Airshow is the only place in the country's northeast region where you can see the Blue Angels perform this year. And although hundreds of women have served with the Blue Angels in various capacities over the years, Lt. Amanda Lee recently became the team's first-ever female F-18 fighter pilot. She'll be at the forefront of the daring performance fans will see.

“The diamond formation team flies closer than anyone else in the entire world, and they do some maneuvers that no other jet demonstration can do. I think Lt. Amanda Lee puts it best when she says the airplane doesn’t care what gender or religion you are. She's a fantastic pilot and we're excited to have her,” Zimmerman explained.

Through airshows and community outreach efforts, the Blue Angels work to raise awareness for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, while also inspiring the next generation. Lt. Commander Thomas Zimmerman remembers watching the Blue Angels perform when he was 6-years-old, while Lt. Commander Brian Vaught recalls a baseball game flyover sparking his interest in aviation as a child.

“Hopefully there is a kid who is going to come to The Great Pocono Raceway Airshow and do something great with their life, and it's pretty cool to be a part of that,” said LCDR Brian Vaught, Blue Angel #8.

With two days of the same action-packed show, this is an experience you won't want to miss. Stay tuned for more information about The Great Pocono Raceway Airshow, including other performances sharing the air with the Blue Angels. Tickets are on sale now at PoconoAirshow.com. Pricing starts at just $10 for kids 12 and under, and $25 for adults.