The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy's Blue Angels will conduct a flyover through the capital region Saturday to salute health care workers and first responders battling the coronavirus pandemic. See the flight plans for Baltimore and D.C.
The military’s elite flight demonstration squadrons salute health care workers and others on the front lines in the fight against the coronavirus over New York City on April 28. (Courtesy FEMA/K.C. Wilsey)
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy’s Blue Angels will conduct a flyover through the D.C. region this weekend to salute health care workers and first responders battling the coronavirus pandemic.
“America’s ambassadors in blue” are heading south to the nation’s capital, Baltimore and Atlanta after a formation flyover over New York City and Philadelphia this week, met with cheers from medical workers.
“America Strong is a way for both teams to show appreciation to the thousands of doctors, nurses, first responders and essential workers out there serving on the front line day-in and day-out,” said Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, U.S. Navy Blue Angels commanding officer, in a statement.
“This is an extraordinary and unprecedented time but we will get through this. We are all in this together.”
Twelve U.S. Air Force F-16C/D Fighting Falcon and F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft will conduct three coordinated flyovers over downtown D.C. and Baltimore on Saturday.
Baltimore will see them first, with the demonstration set to start at 11:30 a.m. before the squadrons head to D.C. around 11:45 a.m. Each flyover will last between 15 and 20 minutes.
A U.S. Navy news release said the D.C. event will be visible from the city and “surrounding communities” from the safety of home quarantine, and urged residents not to gather in large groups at landmarks or hospitals.
Here are the flyover flight plans for each city:
Here’s the route the flyovers will take over the Baltimore area. (Courtesy Md. Gov. Hogan)Here’s the fly over plan for D.C. (Courtesy Md. Gov. Hogan)
Residents along the flight path can expect a few moments of jet noise as the aircraft pass overhead, the Navy said.
Maryland State Police are reminding people that as you watch the flyovers, all social distancing rules still apply and you should wear face masks.
The military’s elite flight demonstration squadrons streaked over Manhattan, Philadelphia and parts of northern New Jersey on Tuesday.
U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flyover New York City skyline, Tuesday April 28, 2020, in New York. The flyover was in salute to first responders in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews
The U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds and Navy’s Blue Angels conducted flyovers in New York City and other cities in the Northeast on Tuesday to salute to frontline workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. CBSN New York’s Vanessa Murdock reports.
People watch as a formation of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flight teams pass in front of the New York City skyline as seen from in Weehawken, N.J., Tuesday, April 28, 2020. The flyover was in salute to first responders in the fight against the new coronavirus.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
A PSE&G utility worker watches the Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds conduct “a collaborative salute” to honor those battling the COVID-19 pandemic with a flyover of New York and New Jersey, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in this view from Jersey City, N.J.
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Construction workers stand on a mound of dirt as they watch and take photos as the military’s elite flight demonstration squadrons, the Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds, perform “a collaborative salute” to honor those battling the COVID-19 pandemic during the current coronavirus outbreak, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in New York.
(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
AP Photo/Kathy Willens
People watch as a formation of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flight teams pass in front of the New York City skyline as seen from Weehawken, N.J., Tuesday, April 28, 2020. The flyover was in salute to first responders in the fight against the new coronavirus.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
A formation of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flight teams pass behind the Empire State Building in New York City as seen from Weehawken, N.J., Tuesday, April 28, 2020. The flyover was in salute to first responders in the fight against the coronavirus.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
The military’s elite flight demonstration squadrons, the Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds, perform “a collaborative salute” to honor those battling the COVID-19 pandemic during the current coronavirus outbreak, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in New York.
(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Alejandro Alvarez joined WTOP as a digital journalist and editor in June 2018. He is a reporter and photographer focusing on politics, political activism and international affairs.
