See a 117th Air Refueling Wing plane fly over Birmingham hospitals Tuesday, May 5

Look up to the Birmingham sky Tuesday afternoon to see an aircraft from Birmingham’s 117th Air Refueling Wing fly over local hospitals. Keep reading for all the details, including more ways to show support for our local healthcare heroes now!

On Tuesday, May 5, a KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft from the 117th Air Refueling Wing—a unit of the Alabama Air National Guard, stationed at Birmingham’s Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base—will be flying over hospitals in Birmingham, sending a salute to local healthcare heroes, essential workers and others on the frontlines responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

The mission is part of the nationwide Air Force Salutes Flyover under Operation American Resolve, a national effort to salute hospital employees and patients. Flyovers will happen across Alabama on Tuesday with aircraft from the 187th Fighter Wing based in Montgomery flying over Auburn, Tuskeegee, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Decatur, Mobile and Dothan!

Social distancing guidelines still apply, so if you’re planning on watching the flyovers, avoid gathering in groups and traveling to hospitals. If you live near the flyover locations listed above, you will be able to see the plane from the safety of your home.

You can share videos and photos of the flyover with the 117th ARW and the 187th FW by using the hashtags #WeSaluteAlabama, #AirForceSalutes and #TogetherAL.

You’ve probably seen ways people all over the world have been showing their support for healthcare workers who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis. Whether by coordinating flyovers, applauding their work, or simply sharing a positive message, it’s important now more than ever that they know how incredibly thankful we are for their daily sacrifices and hard work.