“Anyone know why two fighter jets flew loud and low from TF Green around noon today? It literally shook my whole house, scared us half to death!” New York resident.
A few mysterious jets were spotted flying over Warwick on Aug. 21, 2019.
NBC 10 was inundated with calls, emails, and social media posts about the jets, which residents said they spotted near T.F. Green Airport at about 12:15 p.m.
“Anyone know why two fighter jets flew loud and low from TF Green around noon today? It literally shook my whole house, scared us half to death!” one woman wrote on the NBC 10 News Facebook page.
Another viewer wrote that he believed he witnessed the U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly over the airport around the same time, while a third posted a video of one of the jets on Twitter.
Anyone know why there are fighter jets flying low and fast around Warwick today? Training exercise? @NBC10 @wpro @wpri12 #RhodeIsland #TopGun pic.twitter.com/dNU2OmSR7K
— Mike Griffin (@rhodyknowsbest) August 21, 2019
“Anyone know why are these fighter jets flying low and fast around Warwick today?” Mike Griffin wrote. “Training exercise?”
Other viewers said they feared the worst, including a bombing, while an NBC 10 employee said he saw “a giant military cargo plane” fly over the city at about 3 p.m.
But the Rhode Island National Guard explained that there was nothing to panic about, as the jets were part of the Aug. 22 aerial parade above Manhattan, along the Hudson River, adding that they were just passing through Rhode Island.
The New York International Air Show noted online that the U.S. Navy Blue Angels were scheduled to arrive at New York Stewart International Airport on Wednesday around 5:30 p.m., with the F-35s slated for a 3 p.m. arrival.
“The Blue Angels will be visible in the skies over the local area prior to landing,” according to the website.
However, as we reported yesterday, the six Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters were not able to participate in the fly-by due to operational requirements.
“Due to operational requirements, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels will not be able to participate in the Hudson aerial parade on Thursday, August 22nd. However, we are excited to announce that the F-22 Raptor Demo Team will be joining the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, and the F-35 Lightning II Demo Team for this epic aerial display of teamwork and airmanship. See you soon New York!,” the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Display Team said in a statement appeared on its Facebook page.
On Aug. 14, 2019, two F/A-18 Hornet fighters of the US Navy Blue Angels team brushed against each other during a training session over the skies of Pensacola in Florida but came out of the potentially fatal situation with just minor scratches.
The Blue Angels were scheduled to demonstrate their skills at the Air and Water Show 2019 in Chicago, Illinois, and were busy practicing for the same when No. 1 and No. 3 F/A-18 Super Hornets piloted by Captain Eric Doyle and Lieutenant James Cox came in contact mid-air during their “Diamond 360” maneuver.
“They fly very, very close together. No. 3 did make contact of the underside of No. 1’s wing with his (glass-cockpit) canopy,” Lieutenant Michelle Tucker, the Chief of Naval Air Training spokeswoman, was quoted as saying by Military.com.
However, the Air and Water Show 2019 in Chicago was not postponed. Both Captain Doyle and Lieutenant Cox took part in the show even though the two F/A-18s that brushed against each other were replaced.
Photo by U.S. Navy
