To honor essential personal, six U.S. Air Force Thunderbird jets and six U.S. Navy Blue Angel jets will fly over parts of NY, NJ and PA tomorrow, April 28 at 12pm.
The Thunderbirds are the U.S. Air Force’s flight demonstration team, while the Blue Angels are the Navy’s. There will be six F-16C/D Fighting Falcon aircrafts and six F-18C/D Hornet flying in exact formation.
A press release states that the flyovers are a “collaborative salute from the Air Force and Navy to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, military, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The flyers will start at 12 noon in New York and Newark, lasting about 35 minutes, and then continue to Trenton, NJ and then to Philadelphia, PA.
“We are truly excited to take to the skies with our Navy counterparts for a nation-wide tribute to the men and women keeping our communities safe.” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird 1 and mission commander for the flyover. “We hope to give Americans a touching display of American resolve that honors those serving on the frontline of our fight with COVID-19.”
As you can see from the flight path below, the planes will be flying over parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Officials say if you are along the flight path, you can expect just a few second of jet noise and of course, the sight of “12 high-performance aircraft flying close in precise formation.”
featured image source: U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds