MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Two C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 908th Airlift Wing, Alabama’s only U.S. Air Force Reserve Wing, will conduct a flyover above 10 cities throughout the state in order to honor the frontline heroes in the COVID19 response on Tuesday, May 12, 2020.
“We wanted to show our support for all of the great Alabamians doing everything they can in this fight against COVID19,” explained Col. Craig Drescher, commander of the 908th Airlift Wing. We continue to hear all these amazing stories of people stepping up and going above and beyond their civic duty and we wanted to find a way to say thank you.”
The best way for the 908th to say thank you was to find a way to incorporate the thank you into already scheduled training missions.
“We have members from all over the state, so we wanted to find a way to say thank you to the state and not just our home base city of Montgomery,” said Drescher.
The two-ship formation will fly over the following cities in this order; Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Muscle Shoals, Florence, Decatur, Huntsville, Birmingham, Auburn, Troy, and Selma.
Residents and frontline workers should plan to see the flyovers during the following times May 12, 2020:
Montgomery: 11:10 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Tuscaloosa: 11:40 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Muscle Shoals/Florence: 12:10 p.m. – 12:20 p.m.
Decatur: 12:20 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Huntsville: 12:30 p.m. – 12:40 p.m.
Birmingham: 1:00 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.
Auburn: 1:25 p.m. – 1:35 p.m.
Troy: 1:45 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.
Selma: 2:05 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
The flyovers may be delayed or postponed due to weather, air traffic or maintenance. Any updates to the schedule will be sent to the local media and posted on the 908AW Facebook page.
We encourage Alabamians to view the flyovers from the safety of their shelter in place location and abide by social distancing guidelines established by the CDC and WHO for their safety and that of their community members. Please refrain from congregating in large groups or traveling to landmarks or hospitals to view the flyovers.
We welcome and encourage viewers to tag the 908th using the hashtag #HercsOverAlabama, #AirForceSalutes and #TogetherAL in photos and videos of the flyover.
Please contact 908th Airlift Wing Public Affairs for questions or concerns at 334-953-7874 or 6804.