Update! Videos: Blue Angels, Thunderbirds fly over 4 US cities in support of healthcare workers
Demonstration aircraft with the United Staes Air Force Thunderbirds and United States Navy Blue Angels perform a flyover of the East Rive, as well as over hospitals in Brooklyn and Manhattan in support of the first responders currently working the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of twelve jets, six of the Air Force’s F-16C/D Fighting Falcons and half a dozen F-18 C/D Hornets flew New York City and Newark before heading to Trenton, New Jersey and Philadelphia. (US Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Muncy)
President Donald Trump announced the military will be recognizing front-line health care workers for their tireless efforts combating the coronavirus, by saluting them with air displays in cities throughout the country.
In a mission that has been dubbed “Operation America Strong,” the Department of Defense has sent the Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds to conduct flyovers throughout numerous cities in the coming weeks. The Army’s Flight Demonstration Team, what? Oh, sorry.*grin*
The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds air demonstration squadrons are performing flyovers for several U.S. cities in support of healthcare workers in the city, currently combatting the coronavirus pandemic.
The Blue Angels announced the first of their planned flyovers on Monday, revealing that of New York City would be the first city, along with Newark and Trenton, N.J., and Philadelphia, Pa. on Tuesday.
The squadrons took off from Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. on Tuesday. In total, 12 aircraft, including six F-16s from the Air Force Thunderbirds and 6 F-18s from the Navy Blue Angels took part in the flyovers. Video of the first flyover, over New York City, was shared on Tuesday by NBC News.
The Blue Angel and Thunderbird squadrons could be seen flying in formations side by side one another, and at times with the Blue Angel formation flying just above the Thunderbird formation.
The New York City flyover was shared by the New York Police Department (NYPD)
NYC salute to healthcare workers complete!
The jets are refueling with a KC-10 from @jointbasemdl and heading to Trenton & Philadelphia next.
Stay tuned for updates! #InThisTogether https://t.co/QBLtx5Vcd7
— Thunderbirds (@AFThunderbirds) April 28, 2020
The flyover also earned a tweet of support from actor Hugh Jackman.
“This is absolutely awesome! A (well deserved) tribute to ALL the heroes on the front lines,” Jackman tweeted.
This is absolutely awesome! A (well deserved) tribute to the ALL the heroes on the front lines. Thank you @usairforce and @USNavy #Thunderbirds #blueangels pic.twitter.com/IRHPBQequH
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) April 28, 2020
Following the New York City flyover, the official Blue Angel Twitter account tweeted support for the NYC healthcare system and announced their next flyovers for New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Thank you @NYCHealthSystem for all you do! We salute you! Next stop @NJGov and @PhiladelphiaGov
— Blue Angels (@BlueAngels) April 28, 2020
One video showed hospital workers at a Newark University Hospital in New Jersey waiting for the flyover.
@AFThunderbirds @BlueAngels @usairforce @USNavy view of flyover from Newark University Hospital #AmericaStrong #InThisTogether pic.twitter.com/Izfe4PoFLP
— Jeremy Crisp (@paojeremy) April 28, 2020
ABC 6 News in Philadelphia also shared video of the flyover for Philadelphia. The video features footage of close passes by the formations.
Nicely done! Read the rest here: American Military News
Category: Air Force, Blue Skies, Navy
The Army’s demo group of C-130s is still en route and is expected Tuesday.
They can fly over my place anytime.
Yesterday I heard an ungodly aircraft sound and
immediately looked on Flightaware 24. It was an
Airbus A400M at 34000 ft coming from London.
Those counter rotating props are loud!
Very strange sound.
Military jet aircraft flyovers are nice, and I don’t begrudge the flyboys their fun and “salute”, but flyovers don’t feed the bulldog.
Get us all out of this misbeguided lockdown, so everyone can start to get back to work on a normal schedule and paycheck.
How bout if they do food drops?
Get the Herkys out there dropping pallets
in the starving rural areas.
Pallets of cash would be a nice touch.
Freedom boner!!! I lubs me some Aerial Artillery Platforms.
“The Army Flight Demonstration Team, what?” We will ignore the snideness of the Author/poster with a reminder that it was ARMY AIR CORPS that FIRST made Aerial Artillery Platforms and it was an ARMY Aviator that FIRST convinced Big Navy that it would be a good idea to put Aerial Artillery Platforms on floating Air Bases. We will also point out that it was ARMY Aviators who flew the FIRST ARMY Aerial Artillery Platforms off of floating runways and made the FIRST bombing run over enemy territory in Japan. No disrespect intended towards our Brothers and Sisters who wear the Blue.
And where did Army Aviation come from?
Signal Corps.
Tru dat, and those FIRST ARMY Aviator Signal Corps Troops were detailed to the Artillery as floating forward observers. I will have to dig deeply into some of my research materials and come up with the name of the Confederate Brown Water Naval Vessel that had the distinction of being the FIRST Aircraft Carrier when it toted a balloon down the James River back in ’62/63. I need to move that project to the top of my to do list. Won’t be today; I’m in the midst of the JAG Marathon that can only be interrupted by 2 30 minute episodes of Gunsmoke. Catherine Bell and Amanda Blake take precedence over anything and everything.
I presume that is 1862/1863.
(considering some people’s “edumakation” levels, sometimes you have to be very, very specific – ain’t that right, Kommissar Poodle? Steelie eye?)
You would be correct there my Brother, specifically June of 1862, towards the end of McClellan’s Peninsular Campaign. 1LT Hunter Davidson was the Commander of the CSS Teaser, a small gunboat on the James River, charged with the defense of Richmond. 1LT Davidson was also in Command of the Naval Submarine Battery Service and charged with, in addition to his other duties, the placing of “torpedoes” (the FIRST word used for water and land buried mines). Lt Davidson and the CSS Teaser, with a balloon on board, went down the James into Turkey Bend with the intent to launch and observe McClellan’s forces at City Point and Harrison’s Landing. This action made the CSS Teaser, under the Command of a former Canoe U Graduate, the FIRST documented Aircraft Carrier.
Thus endith the lesson. Requests for the rest of the story will be considered. It’s quite the Tale of bravery, improvisation, adaption, and overcoming great odds.
*grin*
and right after that we built a golf course, then petitioned Congress for money to build a runway!
Pretty damn cool.
That’s because they shove all the new stuff they have no idea where to put into our branch. So if I’m counting correctly, the Army signal corps is the air force’s grand daddy, which also makes it the space force’s great grandpa. 😉
Oops, this was meant in reply to 26limabeans.
*doh!*
You are correct. And there would also be no
“Airborne” without us. So the next time you
hear “stand in the door” think Signal Corps.
Army Apache flight team: Slow teh f**k down @$$h0les!!!
Someone needs to tell the Blue Angels that they need to open up that formation a bit in order to maintain at least six feet of social distancing.
…like the Thunderbirds already do.
*grin*
KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Shack!
USAF formation flying: “same day; same way”.
Heh heh heh!
Seriously, AW1Ed and I love our USAF brethren who wear the “Wings of Lead”. We really do. No one does OCA/DCA, aerial refueling, and intertheater airlift like the U.S. Air Force.
Now if we could only convince them to get rid of those scarves that they wear with their flight suits…