MARTINSBURG, W.Va. –
The 167th Airlift Wing honored front line COVID-19 responders with a flyover of hospitals today,
as part of the Department of the Air Force’s Operation American Resolve.
A 167th AW C-17 Globemaster III aircraft flew over Berkeley Medical Center, Martinsburg,
W.Va., Meritus Medical Center, Hagerstown, Md., War Memorial Hospital, Berkeley Springs,
W.Va., Western Maryland Regional Medical Center, Cumberland, Md., Potomac Valley Hospital,
Keyser, W.Va., Grant Memorial Hospital, Petersburg, W.Va., Hampshire Memorial Hospital,
Romney, W.Va., Winchester Medical Center, Winchester, Va., Jefferson Medical Center,
Ranson, W.Va., the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital
Morgantown,W.Va., Wheeling Hospital, Wheeling, W.Va., Camden Clark Medical Center, Parkersburg,
W.Va. and Highland-Clarksburg Hospital, Clarksburg, W.Va.
Six pilots and four loadmasters crewed the aircraft for the flight.
“For us, it was nice to get back in the jet and to some normalcy since our training flights
had been temporarily suspended,” said Capt. Trebor Taylor, a 167th AW pilot and tactics officer
who planned the route and timing to each hospital. “We would’ve flown over even more
medical facilities if we weren’t limited by training requirements and time.”
The initial flight plan was around the eastern part of West Virginia but a late change to training
requirements allowed the aircraft to extend its flight path to the northwestern portion of the
state and to include hospitals in Morgantown, Wheeling, Parkersburg and Clarksburg.
“We’re happy to show our support of the health care community,” said Lt. Col. George
Fay, the 167th AW chief pilot. “It was great to see so many people on the rooftops of the hospitals
as we flew over.”
The flyover, part of a nation-wide salute to those supporting COVID-19 response efforts, was
intended to lift morale due to the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. The flyover
was conducted at no additional cost to taxpayers since it was performed in conjunction with
training.
“Our aircrews must fly regularly to maintain proficiency,” said Col. Marty Timko, 167th Airlift
Wing commander. “It’s a privilege for our pilots to train while also saluting those working hard to
win the fight against COVID-19; we are humbled by their sacrifices.