Blue Angels, Thunderbirds to flyover DC region Saturday

The Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds are heading to the D.C. area on Saturday to continue their flyovers as part of a demonstration aimed at honoring front-line health care workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. 

The joint flyovers are part of what the Trump administration is calling Operation America Strong. 

The flight path will start at 11:30 a.m. flying over Baltimore for about 15 minutes, before flying over to Washington, D.C., and surrounding communities for about 20 minutes starting at 11:45 a.m. 

The jets will then head to Atlanta for a flyover starting at 1:35 p.m. that will last about 25 minutes. 

“We are honored to fly over these cities in a display of national unity and support for the men and women keeping our communities safe,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird commander and lead pilot, said in a statement. “These flyovers are a gesture of goodwill on behalf of the entire Department of Defense to the heroes of the COIVD-19 pandemic.”

Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, U.S. Navy Blue Angels commanding officer and flight leader for the flyover, said that Operation America Strong is a way for the teams to show appreciation for essential personnel working daily during the pandemic. 

“This is an extraordinary and unprecedented time but we will get through this. We are all in this together,” Kesselring said in a statement. 

The flyovers kicked off Tuesday with paths over New York City, Philadelphia and Trenton, N.J. 

The aircraft also appeared above South Carolina, Missouri, Nevada and Arizona on Tuesday. 

Trump announced the flyover plan last week. He said the idea came from the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds crews as a way to support medical workers.