Blue Angels Thunderbirds Flyover To Honor Front Lines In DC, NoVA

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will conduct a flyover in DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland's Prince George's County Saturday in a display of national unity and support for front-line health care workers. It is one of a series of flyovers the squadrons are making around the country.

The DC flyover is slated to begin at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, following a flyover in the Baltimore area at 11:30 a.m. The third flyover of the day will happen in the Atlanta area starting at 1:35 p.m.

The route will start at 11:45 a.m. in Prince George's County, Maryland. The planes will make their way to DC, loop around Montgomery County, Maryland and head into Northern Virginia via Arlington. The flyover will pass over the Fairfax area around 11:55 a.m. and loop back in Prince William County. The route ends around 12:05 p.m. at the National Mall.

Saturday's flyover is part of the "America Strong" tour, which the president announced at a recent news conference.

"What we are doing is paying tribute to our front-line health care workers confronting COVID, and it's really a signal to all Americans to remain vigilant during the outbreak," President Donald Trump said at an April 22 news briefing. "Operation America Strong was the idea of our great military men and women — the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels crews who wanted to show support to the American medical workers who, just like military members in a time of war, are fiercely running toward the fight."

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The two demonstration teams will fly over areas of the country hardest hit by the coronavirus, with both joint and individual team flights occurring every one or two days until mid-May. Each flyover is expected to last 30 to 40 minutes.

"We're excited to fly over cities across America as our way of saying thanks to the health care workers, first responders and all the people who selflessly run into the breach working to keep America strong," said Gen. Dave Goldfein, chief of staff of the Air Force.

"This is also our way of showing that we are all in this together and that America's spirit will prevail," said Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of Naval Operations.
The America Strong tour began included joint flyovers Tuesday at noon over Newark, New Jersey, and New York City and at 1:45 p.m. in Trenton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. Other flyovers are planned in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas.

Then the teams will separate.

The Blue Angels will fly over Miami, Tallahassee and Jacksonville in Florida; Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia; Detroit; Chicago; Indianapolis; Nashville; New Orleans; and Kingsville and Corpus Christi, Texas.

Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds will fly over San Antonio, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Phoenix; San Diego; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle.

The Air Force and Navy have partnered with local governments to help ensure spectators follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines.

Both teams are also implementing various measures to maintain personnel and community safety. This includes air-to-air refueling during transit and no scheduled stops en route to reduce potential exposure to the virus.

The Blue Angels, based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, and the Thunderbirds, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, typically fly at more than 30 air shows each year to demonstrate American military aviation. This year, both teams have had to cancel many of their demonstrations due to the coronavirus crisis.

While Operation America Strong is intended to support health care workers, first responders, military and essential employees and raise the morale of Americans in the fight against the new coronavirus, it also fulfills critical training requirements for both teams, according to the military.

Pilots must execute a minimum number of flight hours to maintain proficiency. These flyovers will incur no additional cost to taxpayers.

Patch editor Elizabeth Janney contributed reporting.