The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Blue Angels drew New Yorkers out
of their homes and onto their roofs today as the elite aviators staged a
flyover of the tri-state area in honor of those working on the frontline of the
COVID-19 response.
Seven Navy Blue Angel jets flew in formation alongside eight Air Force Thunderbird F-16 Jets.
The flyover started over the George Washington Bridge at
noon and then made its way over Manhattan and Newark, crossing the East River
around 12:15 p.m. The jets then flew out to Long Island before circling back
over the Bronx and down the East River again.
Blue Angels’ commander Brian Kesselring said the flight was “to
salute those working on the frontline of the COVID-19 response.”
The Blue Angels are normally stationed at Forrest Sherman
Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The squadron spends January
through March training at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California and the rest
of the year flying around the country as “ambassadors of goodwill.”
After the first leg on their North East demonstration, the
jets headed north to Connecticut, over White Plains, then down south over the
Bronx.
Later in the day, the two teams flew over the Trenton, NJ area before cruising to Philadelphia for a flyover there.
