New Jersey Air National Guard flyover: Start time, flight path, how to watch
On Tuesday, the New Jersey Air National Guard will send four military planes on a circuitous route around the Garden State, making a point to fly over health-care facilities, temporary field hospitals, state veteran homes, and coronavirus testing sites.
If you live in New Jersey and missed last month’s Blue Angels-Thunderbirds flyover, you’ll soon have another chance to watch an airborne show of gratitude for health-care workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday morning, two New Jersey Air National Guard wings will team up and send four military planes on a circuitous route around the Garden State, the state’s Air National Guard and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs said.
They will make it a point to fly over hospitals, including Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital, as well as coronavirus testing sites, state veteran homes, and temporary field hospitals at the Atlantic City Convention Center and the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison.
“Never underestimate the value of a morale boost when in combat," Brig. Gen. Jemal Beale, commander of the New Jersey National Guard, said in a statement. “I want to thank the N.J. Air Guard for its patriotic gesture and flyover in support of our first responder cohorts as we continue to battle COVID-19.”
New Jersey military officials encourage residents to watch the flyover from their homes. Anyone who does go outside should stay six feet away from others and wear a mask to reduce the spread of the virus.
Here’s everything you need to know about the flyover:
What time does the flyover start?
The flyover will begin at 11:20 a.m. and last less than two hours.
The planes will pass over the Monmouth County borough of Sea Girt about 11:30, then head north up the coast, turning west around Asbury Park and veering inland toward the New Brunswick area. They will fly over Jersey City before circling back and heading south along the state’s border with Pennsylvania.
The flyover is expected to reach the Cherry Hill area around 12:13 p.m., though officials caution that exact times could fluctuate by as much as 15 minutes.
When will I be able to see the planes in my town?
While the flyover won’t be passing through every municipality in the state, it’ll be viewable from a number of locations, including parts of South Jersey.
The New Jersey Air National Guard released the following list of places included in the flyover. Exact times could change by as much as 15 minutes.
Sea Girt: 11:30 a.m.
PNC Arts Center in Holmdel: 11:35 a.m.
Millstone: 11:40 a.m.
New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison: 11:45 a.m.
Menlo Park: 11:46 a.m.
Kean University in Union: 11:48 a.m.
University Hospital in Newark: 11:48 a.m.
Meadowlands Exposition Center: 11:49 a.m.
Bergen County College in Paramus: 11:51 a.m.
Veterans Haven North in Glen Gardner: 12:01 p.m.
New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in Lawrenceville: 12:07 p.m.
Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital: 12:13 p.m.
Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May: 12:27 p.m.
Atlantic City Convention Center: 12:32 p.m.
How many planes will take part in the flyover?
Expect to see four planes — one large aircraft and three jets. Look for the KC-135R Stratotanker, which is about the size of an airliner, surrounded by three smaller F-16 Fighting Falcons.
» FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered.
The KC-135R Stratotanker, typically used as an air refueling plane, comes from the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 108th Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The F-16 Fighting Falcons belong to the 177th Fighter Wing, located at Atlantic City International Airport.
What will the weather be like?
When the flyover begins, it will be about 50 degrees and sunny, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast looked good for a flyover, said a public affairs officer for the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
In case of a change in forecast, they set Wednesday as an inclement-weather date.