- The US Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds are flying over different US cities to honor COVID-19 responders on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
- As part of the ongoing “America Strong” salute, the Blue Angels will be conducting formation flights over Nashville and Little Rock on Thursday.
- So far, the two demonstration teams have flown over more than a dozen cities since late April.
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The Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds are conducting flyovers of different cities to honor front-line COVID-19 responders. On Thursday, the Blue Angels will be flying over Nashville, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas.
The two demonstration teams conducted the first “America Strong” flyovers on April 28, soaring over New York City, Philadelphia, Newark, and Trenton. On May 2, they flew over Baltimore, Washington DC, and Atlanta.
Two formations consisting of six F-16C/D Fighting Falcons and six F-18C/D Hornets flew over the cities “to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, military, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic,” a joint press release said.
The flight over Atlanta was the last joint formation flight.
On May 6, six Blue Angels Hornets flew over Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and New Orleans, and on May 8, they flew over Jacksonville and Miami. The following week on May 12, they flew over Detroit, Chicago, and Indianapolis.
The Thunderbirds conducted their first solo "America Strong" flyover on May 13, flying over San Antonio and Austin.
On Thursday, May 14, the Blue Angels will salute COVID-19 responders in Tennessee and Arksansas with flyovers in Nashville and Little Rock. Here's when and where they will be flying:
Nashville:
Little Rock:
"The America Strong initiative is a way for the Blue Angels to show appreciation to the thousands of nurses, doctors, firefighters, grocery store employees, military personnel and many others who are at the front line of the pandemic response," said Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, Blue Angels commanding officer, said in a statement. "This is our opportunity to salute each American in the fight against COVID-19."
The Air Force says residents in flyover areas should be able to observe the flyovers from the safety of their homes, stressing that people should not travel to view the flyovers and should continue to practice social distancing.
Updates: The Navy Blue Angels and Air Force and Thunderbirds demo teams have several flyover missions planned for the next few weeks. This article will be updated as more information becomes available on those flights.