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Blue Angels, Thunderbirds doing flyovers to thank first responders battling coronavirus pandemic

By Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
By Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

The military will be thanking those on the front lines who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday the mission called Operation America Strong, The Washington Post reported.

The mission, which was thought up by senior military officers at the Pentagon, will consist of flyovers by the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds.

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The Blue Angels are based in Pensacola, Florida, and will fly over at least 13 cities including Miami; Tampa, Florida; Tallahassee, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; Norfolk, Virginia; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Detroit; Chicago; Indianapolis; Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans; Kingsville, Texas, and Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Thunderbirds, which are based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, will fly over San Antonio; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; San Diego; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Portland, Oregon, and Seattle.

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The Navy and Air Force will fly in joint missions over Washington; Baltimore; New York; Newark, New Jersey; Trenton, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas.

Earlier this week the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds were seen flying over Pensacola, the first time in three years the two teams have been seen together in the city, USA Today reported.

The Thunderbirds have already flown over Las Vegas to cheer on first responders, the Air Force said earlier this month.

They also flew over parts of Colorado, including passing over the Air Force Academy commencement ceremony, Fox News reported.

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But not everyone is happy about the aerial display, USA Today reported. It costs at least $60,000 an hour for the teams to fly, the Post reported.

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Some people are saying that money should go to much-needed tests and personal protective equipment needed by medical facilities, USA Today reported.

Blue Angels FILE PHOTO: U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly over San Francisco on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. The Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be performing flyovers as a thank you to first responders fighting the coronavirus. (Noah Berger/AP)


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