Planes of all shapes, sizes set to roar over Brunswick

The Blue Angels fly in a diamond formation during the Great State of Maine Airshow at Brunswick Landing in Brunswick, ME on Saturday, September 5, 2015. Whitney Hayward / Portland Press Herald file photo

The skies above Brunswick roar to life on Labor Day weekend with the return of the Great State of Maine Airshow at the former Brunswick Naval Air Base.

This will be the first time the famed Blue Angels squadron has flown at Brunswick Landing since 2017. The show was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blue Angels are a Navy flight demonstration team that performs aerial acrobatics.

The event, put on by The Air Show Network, is scheduled for Sept. 4 and 5, with gates opening at 8 a.m. and events kicking off at 11:30 a.m. Air performances are scheduled until 4:30 p.m. both days.

Day passes are $45 for adults and $35 for children ages 4-12 on Saturday or $40 for adults and $30 for children on Sunday. Kids 3 and under get in for free. Premium box seats are $75. Tickets can be purchased by visiting greatstateofmaineairshow.us.

According to Air Show Network President Jim Breen, fewer tickets are being sold this year, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If the show sells out, expected attendance is around 10,000 per day, 20,000 for the weekend. By comparison, the 2017 air show drew in about 35,000 people over two days.

Other performers taking to the skies during the event include Fat Albert, a C-130 J; Mad Max, a P-51 Mustang; Ace Maker, a T-33; a jet car; as well as performers jumping out of perfectly good airplanes for skydiving displays.

This will be the only Blue Angel show in New England. Before the former air station closed in 2011, the Navy hosted air shows free to the public for 50 years.

Locals might see the Blue Angels in the sky the week before the event, as the team is coming down early after wrapping up a previous show in Canada to get some practice in.

For more information, a full schedule or to get tickets, visit greatstateofmaineairshow.us or airshownetwork.com.

The event is weather-dependent, and if the show is rained out, it will not be rescheduled. Gates open at 8:30 a.m. Refunds will not be issued if the gates are open.