TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base flew over the 12 major hospitals in the Tampa Bay area to honor health care workers in the coronavirus pandemic.
“This community goes out of their way to honor our sacrifices,” said Air Force Col. Stephen Snelson, commander of the 6th Air Refueling Wing. “This is an honor for us to be able to display our gratitude to these warriors who protect our base and this community from this horrible virus.”
The Federal Aviation Administration determined the flight path, accommodating the hospitals along the way, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
The plane took off around 9:30 a.m. Friday and landed around 11 a.m., the newspaper reported.
Medical workers and hospital staff members lined the top level of the parking garage at Tampa General Hospital to view the flyover.
“It was a nice thank you to come by and support everybody who has been working really hard during this really testing time of life,” said Kate Cirrinicione, a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit, told the newspaper.
The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flew over South Florida and Jacksonville last Friday and the Florida National Guard did a flyover of Orlando hospitals earlier this week.
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