Tennessee airmen will be giving a special flyover salute to healthcare workers next Tuesday.
Major General Jeffrey Holmes, Adjutant General of the Tennessee Department of Military, said Air National Guard units have had to shift pilot training during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying "as a coincidence" pilots will be catching up on training on Tuesday, May 12 on the last day of National Nurses Week.
Holmes said the state will be consolidating its aircraft and having as many aircrew members fly for training as possible, saying the aircraft will fly over as many cities and hospitals as they can to salute healthcare workers.
"We’re taking the opportunity to take a step back and salute their heroic efforts," he said.
The Tennessee Air National Guard is home to several aircraft, including the 134th Air Refueling Wing KC-135s at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base.
The KC-135s from Knoxville will be flying across East and Central Tennessee beginning in Johnson County at 11:38 a.m. local time. Here is their flyover schedule Tuesday:
- Johnson County Health Department at 11:38
- Carter County Health Department at 11:43
- Washington County Health Department at 11:45
- Greene County (Greeneville Community Hospital East) at 11:50
- Jefferson County Health Department at 11:57
- Blount County Health Department at 12:06
- McMinn County Health Department at 12:15
- Bradley County Health Department at 12:20
- Rutherford County at 12:24
- Hamilton County (Parkridge Medical Center) at 12:25
- Davidson County from 12:30 to 12:33
- Williamson County at 12:44
- Knox County (Parkwest Medical Center) at 12:45
- Downtown Knoxville at 12:47
- White County at 1:00
- Cumberland County at 1:05
- Roane County at 2:09
C-17 aircraft from the 164th Airlift Wing will fly out of Memphis at the following local times:
- Davidson County from 12:30 to 12:33
- Hickman County at 12:45
- Perry County at 1:00
- Decatur County at 1:04
- Henderson County at 1:10
- Madison County at 1:18
- Haywood County at 1:27
- Tipton County at 1:34
- Shelby County from 2:00 to 2:15
Here is the flyover from Blount Memorial Hospital:
Here is a view from inside one of the planes:
