Military Fly Over - The U.S. Navy Air Demonstration Squadron Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Thunderbirds honored frontline COVID-19 first responders in April and May.

The Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds aerial performance teams completed a spectacular joint flight program in April honoring frontline workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with National Guard flyovers, more than 100 sorties were conducted across the United States in more than 40 states, flying over communities rarely exposed to these displays of military technology and aerial precision. This new discovery of a 100-year-old tradition raises questions about how the bridge began, why it continues, and what the bridge symbolizes today.

Military Fly Over

Military Fly Over

A similar display would not be appropriate at a football game or funeral, but the flyover, or the specific shape of an aircraft passing over a gathering place, is a matter of practicality and heritage. Most flyovers today are relatively simple tasks that can be performed by any flying unit of as few as six aircraft after a few hours of training.

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The flights date back to the First World War. The first fighter pilots flew over the battlefield, allowing those on the ground to count their planes to see if the mission was successful or if friendly pilots were lost. During some of these flyovers, a fellow pilot placed flowers at the landing site.

During a memorial service for the fallen pilot of the carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). US Navy (Nick Brown)

This is the pre-extinction period. By 1931, the practice looked different from today's "four-finger" form, developed during World War II, but had developed enough to warrant mention in newspapers. When the head of the Army Air Corps, Major General Oscar Westover, was buried at Arlington Cemetery in 1938, at least 60 fighters and bombers had an "idle column" on the flyover. When Air Force General Hoyt Vandenberg was buried in 1954, the usual artillery boxes were replaced by six B-47 Stratojets with a space to represent the deceased pilot, followed by 16 F-84 Thunderjets and 16 F -86 Sabres.

Use the bridge to connect with the community and create a sense of security and fear about the funeral. The first military flyover may have been in 1918 when the crowd gathered for Game 1 of the World Series at Chicago's Comiskey Park witnessed a parade of more than 60 airplanes and Babe Ruth's innings. Airplanes used to be an occasional treat at sporting events, but the demand for the show increased after September 11, 2001. Due to the high demand, flyovers are now more carefully controlled.

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Most transitions are performed by aviation units as part of normal training to maintain currency and skills and require no additional cost. For some units, parade flying is the whole point. Naval aviation developed capabilities for all operations conducted out of public view, such as landing on ships, launching aerial torpedoes, and long-range flying. Admiral Chester Nimitz, concerned about the decline of naval aviation after World War II, ordered the formation of a flight demonstration team to promote public awareness. On August 25, 1946, the new team flew the F6F Hellcat fighter for the first time. The host called them the Blue Angels, the name of a nightclub he had read about.

The name stuck and so did the performance team. The Air Force followed suit in 1953 with the Thunderbirds. Other teams have emerged over the years to demonstrate the maneuverability of specific air ranges, such as the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team.

While the COVID-19 overpasses have gone beyond the pattern of overpasses for funerals, sporting events and equipment, this type of exposure is not unprecedented. of

Military Fly Over

A bridge where both space shuttle disasters were assessed. In 1999, Air Force planes flew over a Texas A&M football game to honor students killed in a fire. After the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, the Air Force honored the students who died. The Navy honored former President George W. Bush with 21 missing persons crossings at his funeral in 2018.

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Military flights are inherently dangerous, and overflights sometimes lead to accidents. The Snowbirds, the marching team of the Royal Canadian Air Force, are performing flights to honor Canada's response to COVID-19. During a recent flyover, the crew was involved in an accident that injured a pilot, killed a public relations officer, damaged one of the CT-114 tutors, and destroyed a house. New Jersey National Guard (Mark Olsen)

At the deepest level, air power is an indicator of security. Just before D-Day, General Dwight D. Eisenhower tried to make the ground troops feel safe by providing them with air cover. The association of security with aircraft is no accident. Even during the First World War, the overpass signaled its protection to the soldiers below. In addition to the tactical protection of the Air Force, especially ground forces during combat, cooperation between the Air Force, global security and homeland security is emphasized. A 1954 Warner Brothers film featuring not one but two shots of F-86s flying missing-person missions

It brought the concept of the screen to movie theaters across the United States. Especially in conjunction with Hollywood, air travel became one of the most visible reminders that Americans were safe at home during the Cold War; from

Flyovers are an American tradition, fitting for the birthplace of the Wright Brothers. However, bridge has global roots and flavors all over the world. The British flew on the Western Front during the First World War and the tradition of "flying the past" continues in the British, Canadian and Australian armed forces. During the coronavirus pandemic, the Italians were the first to launch an airlift synchronized with the opera, lifting spirits. These screens are not without risk. Canada's iconic Snowbird CT-114 Tutor crashed in British Columbia last Sunday, injuring a pilot and killing a public affairs officer.

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The Thunderbirds started in 1953, a few years after the Blue Angels. Their first aircraft were the single-seat F-84 and the two-seat version of the T-33 (shown only). US Air Force (Hydraulic Line)

Flight may be most important for the fear they create. Whether it's a sporting event or an air show, a flyover is a symbol of speed, power and skill. A symbol of the missing person on the battlefield or at a funeral is a fitting farewell for those who serve in the air. The sense of security symbolized by the Air Force is a bond between World War I warriors and US health workers, no matter the circumstances. Bridge is a quintessential American tradition, even if many others have been put on hold during COVID-19.

Major Summers Lowe is curator of modern military history at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, an officer in the Army National Guard of the District of Columbia, and a non-resident fellow at the Modern Warfare Institute at West Point.

Military Fly Over

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