Colorado Air National Guard will fly over Breckenridge on Wednesday

BRECKENRIDGE — Members of the 140th Wing of the Colorado Air National Guard will fly F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft over Breckenridge shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, to “salute those fighting on the front lines of the war against COVID-19.”

The flyover was announced in a news release put out on Monday by the Colorado National Guard. The jets will launch from Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora around 4:30 p.m. and will fly over northeastern Colorado before heading west. The squadron is expected to be visible over Aspen at 5:58 p.m. and over Breckenridge at 5:04 p.m. before traveling on to Winter Park and Longmont, heading south to Pueblo and returning to base.

The flyover is a part of a larger effort called Operation American Resolve, intended to boost morale amid the continued efforts against the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“We are really excited to show our appreciation for those men and women who are risking their lives every day in the front lines of the war on COVID-19” said U.S. Air Force Col. Micah Fesler, the commander of the 140th Wing. “So many of our community members, Coloradans and fellow Americans have experienced overwhelming hardship as a result of this invisible enemy and we hope that the sound of freedom will inspire a sense of community and optimism.”