The military’s elite flight demonstration squadrons salute health care workers and others on the front lines in the fight against the coronavirus over New York City on April 28. (Courtesy FEMA/K.C. Wilsey) The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy’s Blue Angels will conduct a flyover through the D.C. region this weekend to salute health care workers and first responders battling the coronavirus pandemic. “America’s ambassadors in blue” are heading south to the nation’s capital, Baltimore and Atlanta after a formation flyover over New York City and Philadelphia this week, met with cheers from medical workers. “America Strong is a way for both teams to show appreciation to the thousands of doctors, nurses, first responders and essential workers out there serving on the front line day-in and day-out,” said Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, U.S. Navy Blue Angels commanding officer, in a statement. “This is an extraordinary and unprecedented time but we will get through this. We are all in this together.”
Twelve U.S. Air Force F-16C/D Fighting Falcon and F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft will conduct three coordinated flyovers over downtown D.C. and Baltimore on Saturday. Baltimore will see them first, with the demonstration set to start at 11:30 a.m. before the squadrons head to D.C. around 11:45 a.m. Each flyover will last between 15 and 20 minutes. A U.S. Navy news release said the D.C. event will be visible from the city and “surrounding communities” from the safety of home quarantine, and urged residents not to gather in large groups at landmarks or hospitals. Here are the flyover flight plans for each city: Here’s the route the flyovers will take over the Baltimore area. (Courtesy Md. Gov. Hogan)Here’s the fly over plan for D.C. (Courtesy Md. Gov. Hogan) Residents along the flight path can expect a few moments of jet noise as the aircraft pass overhead, the Navy said. Maryland State Police are reminding people that as you watch the flyovers, all social distancing rules still apply and you should wear face masks. The military’s elite flight demonstration squadrons streaked over Manhattan, Philadelphia and parts of northern New Jersey on Tuesday.
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Freedom 250 Grand Prix turns the National Mall into Lollapalooza for motorsports fans
Day 1 of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is in the record books, with racing legends, IndyCar drivers and thousands of fans taking over the streets of D.C.
Yes, Jeff Gordon swept both IROC races Saturday, with Kurt Busch finishing second in both, as the inaugural race weekend brought motorsports to the heart of the nation’s capital.
But the action was not limited to the track.
The Air National Guard Fan Zone turned “America’s front yard” into something resembling Lollapalooza for motorsports fans, with a live DJ playing music, picnic tables and umbrellas, and massive screens showing the race, along with food, cornhole games and merchandise trucks.
