May 21, 2020 10:15 a.m.
Oregon Air National Guard flyovers will honor southern Oregon hospital staff on Monday.
Director of Public Affairs Stephen Bomar, said F-15 Eagles are wrapping up a series of flyovers that have been taking place to “salute Oregonians on the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, lift morale during a time of severe health and economic impacts, and remember those brave service members who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom”.
Bomar said the flyovers are a joint effort between Oregon’s 173rd Fighter Wing, based in Klamath Falls, and the 142nd Wing, based in Portland. He said their aim is to support and thank healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential workers who are working to keep Oregonians safe and healthy each day.
The flyovers will pass over Mercy Medical Center and the Roseburg VA Medical Center at approximately 11:10 a.m. They are scheduled to pass over Lower Umpqua Hospital in Reedsport at 11:44 a.m. During their flight they will also pass over facilities in Klamath Falls, White City, Cottage Grove, Springfield, Eugene, and several other communities. Flyovers on Friday will salute facilities in central and eastern Oregon.
The flyovers have been coordinated as part of Operation: American Resolve and are done in conjunction with regularly scheduled training. The flyovers will incur no additional cost to taxpayers and are done in lieu of regularly scheduled training.
All passes are approximately 2,000 feet above ground at around 400 miles per hour.