COLORADO, USA — Parts of Colorado that weren't hit during prior military plane flyovers will get their chance to see the planes on Friday.
The Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Wing will conduct a second F-16 Fighting Falcon flyover on Friday, May 15 from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
This flight will include healthcare facilities in Brighton, Granby, Kremmling, Rifle, Fruita, Grand Junction, Delta, Montrose, Cortez, Durango, Pagosa Springs, Alamosa, Trinidad, La Junta and Parker.
Above video: F-16s fly across over Colorado on May 6
“As much as we wanted to include all of the critical Coloradans who are leading the fight against COVID-19 during the first flyover, we had to prioritize based on where the highest number of cases were,” 140th Wing Commander U.S. Air Force Col. Micah Fesler said.
Due to fuel limitations, the May 6 flyby was unable to cover the entire state of Colorado in one sortie, Fesler said.
“We know there are many more cities and towns throughout the state where people are making significant sacrifices to battle the pandemic, so we’ve gotten approval to do one more flyover mission to salute as many more heroes as possible,” he said.
This second flyover is also part of the U.S. Air Force’s Operation American Resolve, which is boosting morale during this time of severe health and economic impacts resulting from the pandemic.
“We truly appreciate the support of communities throughout Colorado over the years,” Fesler said, “This flyover will give us a chance to reach those who are farther from the Front Range.”
Realistically, the jets will not be able to fly over every town in Colorado, Fesler said, however, the sentiment is intended for all COVID-19 front line responders.
“Whether we reach your community or not, please know that we salute all the men and women who have risked their own health to serve others…you are our heroes,” he said.
See the estimated flight schedule below.
PHOTOS: Air National Guard F-16s fly over Colorado
- 11:03 a.m. - Platte Valley Medical Center, Brighton
- 11:11 a.m. – Middle Park Medical Center, Granby
- 11:14 a.m. – Kremmling Memorial Hospital, Kremmling
- 11:24 a.m. – Grand River Health, Rifle
- 11:31 a.m. – Colorado Canyons Hospital & Medical Center Community Hospital, Fruita
- 11:37 a.m. – Saint Mary’s Hospital and Medical Center Heliport, Grand Junction
- 11:42 a.m. – Delta County Memorial Hospital, Delta
- 11:45 a.m. – Montrose Memorial Hospital Heliport, Montrose
- 11:55 a.m. – Southwest Memorial Hospital-Emergency Room, Cortez
- 12:00 p.m. – Animas Surgical Hospital, Mercy Regional Medical Center, Durango
- 12:06 p.m. – Pagosa Springs Medical Center, Pagosa Springs
- 12:14 p.m. – SLV Health Regional Medical Center, Alamosa
- 12:24 pm – Mt. San Rafael Hospital, Trinidad
- 12:33 p.m. – Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center Helipad, La Junta
- 12:48 p.m. – Parker Adventist Hospital, Parker
All time windows may vary by 15 minutes or more. Everyone is encouraged to practice social distancing while observing the flyover.
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