GENESEO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Western New York has another chance to thank frontline workers Saturday with a flyover that has become the largest of its kind in the country.
In the twenty days since it was announced, a flyover has grown from a small event, to an event that extends throughout much of Western and Central New York.
"We're going to hit more than 90 checkpoints over Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse," said Todd Cameron, Director of Flight Operations at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo.
The flyover will feature museum's Douglas C-47, named "Whiskey 7", the lead aircraft in the second wave of the D-Day invasion on June 6th, 1944 over Normandy. It will be flying with a second plane, A P-51 Mustang, named Mad Max. There may be a 3rd airplane, depending on the venue, for a photo shoot.
"There's nothing quite like these oil burning, smoking, radial engines. If you don't see us coming, you'll hear us coming," said Cameron.
The moment you've all been waiting for....drumroll please.....The official fly over map is HERE!! ----We're flying over 80+ sites on Saturday as we honor the heroic first responders, medical and essential workers in Western New York! #ThanksFromAbove #ROCTheSky pic.twitter.com/yKwN2OQspw
— National Warplane Museum (@GeneseoAirshow) May 13, 2020The flyover will depart Geneseo at 9:30am, heading toward Fredonia and Dunkirk. Then it heads north to Buffalo between 10:15am - 10:45am. "We've allocated some extra time to spend over the downtown hospitals as well as the waterfront," said Cameron. He said the planes will be flying at a legal altitude, about a thousand feet above the ground. The planes can drop lower when they are over the Buffalo waterfront.
The mission heads toward Rochester and Syracuse Saturday afternoon.
Cameron reminds us that this is not an air show and he says this is not the right time to be giving rides or bringing the media on board. "The focus of this entire event is not on the museum or the airplane as much as it is a mission of gratitude to point all of this energy in the direction of people who deserve it," he said.
None of the event is coming out of taxpayer money or museum funds. It's all from fundraising.
check the latest flight times HERE
As this wonderful mission to say thank you continues to come together we have an exciting addition to the team!Our good friend Lou Horschel will be join the formation in the P-51 Mustang named "Mad Max"! https://t.co/thxHDam8G9 #ThanksFromAbove #ROCTheSky pic.twitter.com/76y1d1qeod
— National Warplane Museum (@GeneseoAirshow) May 11, 2020
