To honor the frontline healthcare workers, first responders, and law enforcement personnel in the US for their role in the CIVOD-19 pandemic, the US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration teams will team up to fly routes over NYC/Newark and Philadelphia/Trenton today.
“We’re excited to fly over cities across America as our way of saying thanks to the healthcare 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, and Adm. Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. “This is also our way of showing that we are all in this together and that America’s spirit will prevail.”
While no official schedule has been released, the Washington Post, citing a DOD memo obtained by the paper, reported:
The memo said the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds will fly jointly over Washington, Baltimore, New York, Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Austin. It was not clear whether that list could change, but defense officials said it is not comprehensive.
The Blue Angels . . . will fly their blue-and-gold F/A-18 Hornets separately over at least 13 other cities, including Miami, Tampa, Tallahassee and Jacksonville in Florida and Norfolk and Virginia Beach in Virginia. Other Blue Angels destinations include Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, and Kingsville and Corpus Christi in Texas.
The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, plan to fly their red-white-and-blue F-16 Fighting Falcons over San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Ore., and Seattle, the memo said.
A Blue Angels’ public affairs told the USA TODAY Network that the full schedule won’t be released at once.
Announcements about specific cities will be released 48 hours ahead of the flyover, and the information will be shared on the Blue Angels’ and Thunderbirds’ Twitter accounts.