Air Force flyover honors health care workers
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald Aircraft from Fairchild Air Force Base flew over Samaritan Hospital Friday in a show of gratitude for the work of its staff during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald Samaritan Hospital employees scan the sky for aircraft from Fairchild Air Force Base Friday. The air crews flew over Samaritan and other regional hospitals in appreciation of work done by their employees during the COVID-19 outbreak.
MOSES LAKE — Crews and aircraft from Fairchild Air Force Base showed their support for health care workers and first responders in Central Washington on Friday, with a flyover of a number of health care facilities including Samaritan Hospital.
The pair of planes appeared overhead at 12:22 p.m., right on schedule. Samaritan was the first destination, followed by Yakima, Tri-Cities, Coeur d’Alene and Spokane.
Hospital employees gathered outside on the terrace, cellphones in hand.
“Very cool,” Jan Sternberg, director of nursing, said.
It took the crews 13 minutes to fly from Moses Lake to Yakima, which impressed Gretchen Youngren, Samaritan’s director of communications and development.
“Holy moly, they can motor. I want to be on their travel plan,” she said.
The flight was to show support for the people responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a Fairchild AFB press release. Colonel Derek Salmi, commander of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, said it was a way to express gratitude for the efforts of people working at the center of efforts to treat the outbreak.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].
