Military plans salute for health care staffs

Air Force to conduct C-130 flyovers

Military aviators will fly over medical facilities across the state Friday to honor all health care professionals and volunteers who have provided care during the coronavirus pandemic, the Little Rock Air Force Base announced Wednesday.

The flyover will include four C-130 Hercules aircraft flying in two separate “twoship formations,” said Tim Boyer, a base spokesman.

The aircraft, Boyer said, will represent each component that makes up Team Little Rock — the 19th Airlift Wing, the 314th Airlift Wing, the 189th Airlift Wing and the 913th Airlift Group.

“We have deep gratitude for all healthcare personnel and other essential employees and volunteers who have put themselves at risk while confronting this invisible enemy,” said Col.

John Schutte, commander of the 19th Airlift Wing, in a statement Wednesday.

“While defending the homeland has taken a new shape, we are proud to serve alongside those in and out of uniform. This flyover is our way of sending a heartfelt salute … to all those on the frontlines in the fight against the virus.”

People in Central Arkansas will be able to see the C-130s from various vantage points sometime around noon, Boyer said.

The U.S. Air Force performs nearly 1,000 flyovers each year across the country, including at air shows and sporting events. They are considered “fully functional training missions” that are designed to maintain pilot readiness, according to the Air Force.

In case of bad weather, the flyovers will be rescheduled for May 15, Boyer said.