Aspen health care, front-line workers to be recognized in Operation American Resolve flyover Wednesday

Health care professionals at Aspen Valley Hospital and front-line workers in Aspen and Pitkin County will be recognized Wednesday afternoon as part of the aerial salute known as Operation American Resolve.

The scheduled window for the flyover over the Colorado mountains is between 4:42 and 5:10 p.m., and the Aspen area is the western outpost where the pilots will fly over then return to the Front Range. Officials said the windows may vary by about 15 minutes.

According to the Colorado Air National Guard, the 140th Wing, Colorado Air National Guard will fly F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft around several Colorado cities and towns Wednesday to salute workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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“We are really excited to show our appreciation for those men and women who are risking their lives every day in the front lines of the war on COVID-19,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Micah Fesler, commander, 140th Wing, Colorado Air National Guard. “So many of our community members, Coloradans, and fellow Americans have experienced overwhelming hardship as a result of this invisible enemy and we hope that the sound of freedom will inspire a sense of community and optimism.”

As part of Operation American Resolve, Air Force units around the country are conducting flyovers in an effort to boost morale.

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The 140th Wing will launch the jets from Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora. Along with the mountain communities of Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge and Estes Park, the jets will fly over multiple locations from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs and out east to Sterling.

“We hope that when our fellow citizens hear the jets fly over, they will know that we remain strong as a nation and we will get through this as one team,” Fesler said. “We are proud to serve alongside the first responders and essential personnel who are fighting the COVID-19 battle here in our state and we salute their service.”