Our definition of heroes has expanded considerably during the COVID-19 crisis. Now, essential workers like grocery store personnel and delivery drivers, as well as traditional lifesavers like doctors and nurses, have become the ones most responsible for getting the rest of us through the pandemic — while putting their own lives at risk. So in a show of thanks, the U.S. Military decided to put on a show for some of these brave frontline workers.
America’s two premier aerial demonstration teams, the Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds, took to the skies above New York, Philadelphia, and parts of New Jersey on April 28 for a thrilling showcase that showed their appreciation for the cities’ frontline workers battling COVID-19. The area, particularly New York City, has been the hardest hit in the nation, and the show provided a small bit of much-needed relief for a city that’s been struggling.
Cockpit footage from the Blue Angels flight over New York City pic.twitter.com/feBIqgUTxA
— Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) April 28, 2020
“This is amazing, it’s indeed an honor,” Dr. Adeanke Adebayo, an emergency room physician in Brooklyn, told AM NY. “I think this boosts the morale, society is recognizing the hard work we are doing continuously. It makes us work even harder for our patients … It makes us feel like heroes.”
The flyovers are part of the military’s new “America Strong” initiative, which looks to provide a morale boost across the nation to areas that have been struggling to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The organization has already announced a second grouping of flyovers for May 2 as Atlanta, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. will be treated to a show by the two legendary aerial outfits.
Odds are that the America Strong tour will keep on rolling… er, flying… after May 2, so keep your eyes to the skies to see if they pay your area a visit.
