The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will be the centerpiece of the annual Air Dot Show Cocoa Beach this weekend, attracting aviation enthusiasts of all ages in a special celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
The centerpiece of the show will be Lori Wilson Park, where demonstrations will take place April 11-12, but viewing will be available throughout the two-mile-wide aerobatic box that stretches from the Cocoa Beach Pier to the Minutemen Causeway. Other high-flying performers include the F-16 Viper Demo Team, B-52 Stratofortress, SOCOM Para Commandos, and P-51 Mustang Demo.
This weekend marks the first time in five years that the Blue Angels will fly over Florida’s Space Coast, marking a special anniversary: 45 years since NASA first launched Space Shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981.
“This is a special moment for our country and for Florida’s Space Coast,” Air Dot Show Tour CEO Brian Lilly said in a news release. “Welcoming the Blue Angels to Cocoa Beach for the first time as part of America’s 250th anniversary provides an unforgettable backdrop to celebrate our country, our military, and our shared history.”
The show will include combat search and rescue displays and aerial refueling demonstrations by pararescue jumpers from the 920th Rescue Wing, based at Patrick Space Force Base in Melbourne, and stunt flights by Cocoa Beach-based pilot John Black. Attendees will also enjoy a historic demonstration of the B-25J World War II Panchito bomber and a U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight.
Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels demonstration squadron arrives at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport ahead of the 2021 Great Florida Air Show. The team will be headlining the Air Dot Show Cocoa Beach on April 11-12. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)
The Cocoa Beach show is the first of seven of eight shows on the Air Dot Show 2026 tour. After stopping at Orlando Sanford International Airport in late September, the plane will travel to Fort Lauderdale, central Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and finally visit Atlanta.
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If you go
The Cocoa Beach Air Show opens its gates at 9 a.m. and the Flight Line Club beach area opens at 10 a.m. April 11 and 12 near Lori Wilson Park, 1500 N. Atlantic Ave. in Cocoa Beach. The aerial portion of the show will be held daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Beachgoers may see performers practicing the day before the show. Ticket prices range from $37.50 to $199. Coolers of food and non-alcoholic beverages, chairs and beach umbrellas are allowed at the show, but pets are not allowed. Visit air.show for more information on parking, what to bring and tickets.
