KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
May 5, 2020
By Natalie Cook Clark
This week, Katy residents will be treated with two flyovers to honor special heroes. The Navy’s Blue Angels and historic WWII planes have plans to fly over the Katy area. Check the maps for the best viewing opportunities.
UPDATE: The WWII Warbird flyover will be rescheduled for Sunday, May 10 due to weather concerns for the Fridays schedule. See updates below.
The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds
On Wednesday, May 6, Houston will play center stage to an air show as the Navy's Blue Angels fly over the area. Last week, the Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds teamed up to fly over major U.S. cities in a salute to the healthcare first responders. The first two cities they saluted were Philadelphia and New York City.
“We sure can’t wait to see the flyovers,” says Katy mom Vickey Hegemeyer. “I think it’s great that they are doing this. Ethan can’t wait to get out and see his friends (from a distance) and watch them fly by.”
See the map below for the flight path of the Blue Angels.
Historic Planes Honor WWII Veterans
On Friday, May 8 rare and historic planes from the Lone Star Flight Museum will fly over the Houston area to salute WWII veterans. This special “Fight to the Finish” flyover event will include a path right over Cinco Ranch.
UPDATE: Due to weather concerns for Friday, the WWII Warbirds flyover is being moved to Sunday, May 10. The map of the flight path is the same. They are scheduled to depart Ellington Field at 2pm. We will continue to update this as more news in available.
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of V-Day
May 8, 1945 marked V-Day and the end of WWII. Friday’s flyover commemorates the 75thanniversary and honors WWII veterans. The event will also introduce the public to these historical aircraft.
Planes scheduled to fly include: B-25 ‘Devil Dog’, P-51 Mustang, T-6 Texan, BT-13 Valiant, L-17 Navion, T-34 Mentor, Beechcraft BE-18 and A-36 Bonanza. Additional, pending aircraft: Grumman HU-16 Albatross, Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, Bell P-63 King Cobra, Japanese Zero replica, North American T-28.
Residents will be able to see over two dozen planes this Friday. A program that outlines the flight path and talks about the planes is available for download at their website.
Blue Angels and Aviation Excellence
Navy Admiral Chester Nimitz created the Blue Angels in 1946. For 74 years, this flight exhibition team has created public interest in Naval aviation while boosting Navy and public morale during times of need.
Learn more about the Blue Angels and their shows at their website.
Best Ways to Watch:
· Choose a large parking lot under the flightpath outlined on the map.
· Park safely and legally.
· Families can sit in truck beds, set up chairs, and sit in trunks.
· Make it a true outing and pack a sack lunch.
· Enjoy!