During sequestration, among other things cancelled were all ‘honor flights’ for sporting events, and fly overs at burials including at Arlington Cemetery.
When Major Howard V. Andre Jr. and Major James E. Sizemore, were buried side by side in 2013 at Arlington National Cemetery after their bodies were recovered from their wrecked A-26 in Laos.
Since the Air Force couldn’t fly, a group of ‘civilian’ pilots stepped up and did the flyover…
The article is HERE.
Nuff said…
Awesome group: http://www.warrioraviation.org/
they are doing it again April 22 for 1Lt Bruce A. Guetzloe, USMC
What a way to send a powerful message at several levels.
In this day and age, I prefer the private solution anyway.
Very nice. Noticed the nice little dig about having to get permission from multiple agencies before they could do the flight, too. Subtle, but definitely there.
If given the choice, I had rather have this group give me a flyover than the Navy or AF. There just seems to be more meaning in them doing it than the regular military.
All- Thanks for the comments.
Posted from my iPhone.
+1 WSF
Rick- Yep!
It may interest you to know that the Services DO still do flyovers at Arlington. It takes a secretary-level approval. But I can attest that it is still being done. I know what their web site “says” they can’t. I work at the Pentagon and get a desktop warning before each one. They happen several times a week. Exceptions are always there if you know the right people.
I remember when this was all going down, how military wouldn’t support the flyover for “budget cuts”-load of …. There are great men amongst us, and these gentlemen from Warrior Aviation fit this definition. Have to go donate.