A breathtaking sight in Miami today as the Navy’s Blue Angels took flight for a 25-minute flyover to salute frontline COV-19 responders. One of our correspondents caught them as they fly over South Miami Hospital, where medical workers stood on the roof to catch a glimpse.

The Blue Angels made their way over 15 South Florida hospitals and also flew over Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the scene of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

This was the latest stop for this flight demonstration squadron, which has done flyovers in several cities including New York, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and others. Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, U.S. Navy Blue Angels commanding officer and flight leader for the flyover said:

“The America Strong initiative is a way for the Blue Angels to show appreciation to the thousands of nurses, doctors, firefighters, grocery store employees, military personnel and others who are at the front line of the pandemic response. This is our opportunity to salute each American in the fight against COVID-19.”

For those wondering how this gets paid for, this unit usually travels around to air shows, so a senior military official told the Washington Post “the cost of the flights will come from money already in the Pentagon budget.” NPR adds:

The Department Defense said that while the “America Strong” showcase is intended to bring Americans together to fight the spread of the coronavirus, it also serves as an important training opportunity for both the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.

“Pilots must execute a minimum number of flight hours to maintain proficiency,” according to a joint statement from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force. “These flyovers will incur no additional cost to taxpayers.”