Thunderbirds to salute COVID-19 responders with fly over Central Texas

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will conduct a salutary flyover for Central Texas Wednesday afternoon reaching San Marcos by mid-afternoon.

The squadron will fly its F-16 Fighting Falcons over Austin, San Antonio and surrounding cities to honor front-line workers and health care professionals responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

The flyover will start at 2:40 p.m. over Leander, circle over Georgetown, Round Rock and Pflugerville, then pass over downtown Austin flying along Interstate 35. The Thunderbirds will circle out to Lakeway and South Austin before returning to I-35 and head through Buda, Kyle and San Marcos around 3:15 p.m.

The flight may be postponed again due to weather after being rescheduled from Tuesday, according to the route announcement on the Thunderbirds’ Twitter account.

The forecast for San Marcos is overcast with 20% chance of thunderstorms most of the day, according to the National Weather Service. 

Last week, a similar flyover was conducted by the U.S. Navy’s demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, over Dallas and Houston.

The flyover demonstrations are part of the Pentagon’s “Operation American Strong” mission, in which the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels fly over major American cities “to thank first responders, essential personnel, and military service members as we collectively battle the spread of COVID-19.” Some flyovers feature both squadrons and some are flown individually.

San Marcos residents near the I-35 route can expect a few minutes of jet noise as the planes pass overhead.

Air Force officials discourage traveling to view the flyover and encourage observers to maintain social distancing and avoid gathering in large groups while watching.