F-15 fighter jets fly over eastern NC hospitals in show of support during COVID-19 pandemic
SMITHFIELD, N.C. (WTVD) -- The medical workers and frontline employees battling COVID-19 in eastern North Carolina got a special nod from above on Friday morning. About 1,000 feet above to be precise.
F-15 E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro flew over several area hospitals in a show of support for medical workers putting in extra time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fighter jets passed over Wilson Medical Center in Wilson, Johnston UNC Medical Center in Clayton and Smithfield and Wayne Memorial Hospital in Goldsboro as part of the Eastern North Carolina Low Altitude Flyover. The jets started to fly at around 1,000 feet in Wilmington at 9:45 a.m. It made for an aerial treat for several communities as people parked near the hospitals to view the spectacle.
Ladder trucks from the Smithfield Fire Department held up a large American flag to show solidarity.
"It motivates us even more to come to work everyday and get in there take care of the members of our community," said Robert Cupp at Johnston UNC Healthcare. That's our mission is to take care of the people you see here.
The jets also flew over medical centers in Jacksonville, Greenville and Kinston.
In New York City, the Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, honored frontline workers with a formation flight.
