Air Force flyover for Tucson frontline workers hits close to home for pilots

Flyover in honor of first responders has special meaning for pilots

AIR NATIONAL GUARD WILL SAYTHANK YOU TO FRONTLINE WORKERSOF THIS PANDEMIC -- WITH ATUCSON AREA FLYOVER.

AS IFOUND OUT -- IT HAS SPECIALMEANING FOR THREE OF THE FOURPILOTS TAKING PART.MAJOR CODY WILTON -- CALL SIGN"SHIV" -- IS USED TOPERFORMING FOR CROWDS IN HISA-10 THUNDERBOLT II.

HE'S THECOMMANDER OF THE A-10DEMONSTRATION TEAM -- THATNORMALLY WOULD BE PERFORMINGAT AIR SHOWS ACROSS THECOUNTRY THIS TIME OF YEAR.INSTEAD -- HE'LL TEAM UP WITHTHE 162ND WING OF THE ARIZONAAIR NATIONAL GUARD FOR AFLYOVER -- TO THANK FRONTLINEWORKERS IN TUCSON.

"THEY DON'TGET THAT THANKS THAT OFTEN.

SOTO GO OUT THERE AND DOSOMETHING FOR THEM TO SHOW OURSUPPORT, AND HOW MUCH WEAPPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO, ISAWESOME." "THIS IS OUR THANKYOU TO OUR HEROES THAT HAVEBEEN FIGHTING THIS VIRUS.

YOUHAVE BEEN AN OUTSTANDING POINTOF SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENTTO US S A WING.

I HOPE YOUENJOY OUR TRIBUTE TO YOUTOMORROW." DURING THE FLYOVER-- MAJOR WILTON WILL PILOT ONEOF THE TWO A-10'S.

HE AND HISWINGMAN HAVE AN EMOTIONALCONNECTION TO THE FRONTLINEWORKERS THEY'RE GOING TOTHANK.

"THE FLIGHT LEAD ISGOING TO BE ONE OF MY SAFETYOBSERVERS.

HIS WIFE ISCURRENTLY A NURSE HERE INTUCSON.

MY WIFE JUST MOVED,BUT SHE WAS A NURSE AND ANURSE ANESTHETIST HERE INTUCSON FOR FOUR YEARS.

ONE OFTHE VIPER PILOTS WIFE IS ALSOIN HEALTH CARE." VIPER IS THENICKNAME OF THE F-16.

A PAIROF VIPERS WILL FLY WITH TWOA-10 WARTHOGS -- TO FORM ADIAMOND.

THE FLYOVER BEGINSTHURSDAY AFTERNOON JUST AFTER2 -- IN GREEN VALLEY.

THEFORMATION HEADS NORTH TOMARANA -- AND THEN AROUND THECATALINAS.

THE BEST WAY TOWORK THE FORMATION WAS TO GOAROUND THE MOUNTAIN AND THENCOMEBACK IN, TO GO ACROSS THECENTER OF TUCSON.

YEAH,DEFINITELY A LITTLECHALLENGING."THIS FLYOVER HAS BEEN IN THEPLANNING STAGES FOR WEEKS.THEY HAD TO GET PERMISSIONFROM THE AIR FORCE AND THEF-A-A -- BEFORE FINALIZING THEFLIGHT PLAN F