Arizona Air National Guard flies over Prescott to honor healthcare workers

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing in Tucson trails behind a KC-135 Stratotanker from Air Guard’s 161st Air Refueling Wing during a flyover of northern Arizona on Thursday, May 7, 2020. The flyover, which was in tribute to the nurses and healthcare works on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, was combined with an air refueling mission. (Arizona National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian A. Barbour/Courtesy)

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing in Tucson trails behind a KC-135 Stratotanker from Air Guard’s 161st Air Refueling Wing during a flyover of northern Arizona on Thursday, May 7, 2020. The flyover, which was in tribute to the nurses and healthcare works on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, was combined with an air refueling mission. (Arizona National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian A. Barbour/Courtesy)

The Arizona National Guard flew three jets and a tanker over medical centers across Arizona cities, ending in Prescott on Thursday afternoon, to honor frontline healthcare workers for putting their lives at risk during the coronavirus pandemic.

The jets passed briefly near hospitals starting in Gallup, New Mexico at around 12:49 p.m., Arizona time, and headed up to Kayenta, Arizona, then ended up in Prescott at around 1:45 p.m.

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(Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brian Barbour, 161st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs)

Retired Prescott resident Kris Lampe came to Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) to watch the flyover and to support the healthcare workers like her son, Dr. Christopher Lampe, who is an emergency room doctor at YRMC.

“I think that our healthcare workers are the best and they deserve that flyover,” Lampe said. “I thought it was awesome. It was just too quick. I wish they had flown more over the hospital. That’s what I was expecting.”

Tina Moshier, a retired Prescott resident, began to cry as she explained why she thinks healthcare workers deserve as much support as people can give them right now.

“They are putting their lives at risk for us, especially her son. And I just really appreciated that they came out here for us and didn’t forget about the small little Prescott town that we have here and they, this is well deserved, that’s why we came out,” Moshier said. “It was quick, but at least we got to see it.”

Jesse Bertel is a reporter/videographer for the Prescott News Network. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook @JesseBertel, email him at jbertel@prescottaz.com, or call 928-445-3333, ext. 2043.

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(Photo submitted by Frank Headley)

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Retired Prescott Resident, Kris Lampe watches the Arizona Air National Guard flyover near YRMC in Prescott on Thursday, May 7, 2020. (Jesse Bertel/Courier)


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