Operation Thanks From Above to grace skies over Sayre

A pair of war planes saying thanks to first responders and essential workers will be crossing the skies over the Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital shortly before noon on Saturday.

The flyover, part of the National Warplane Museum’s Operation Thanks From Above, Southern Tier,” will be led by the museum’s Douglas C-47, which is named Whiskey-7. The plane will be accompanied by a P-51 Mustang named Mad Max, according to a news release from the museum.

The flyover will take place around 11:44 a.m., although officials with the National Warplane Museum noted that times could change and will be updated on social media.

Spectators will be able to track the airplanes using the Flightradar24 app, typing in N345AB, and then selecting the Whiskey-7 aircraft.

According to a statement on the museum’s website, “These are interesting times we are living in. Each worker, family, and organization has had to make drastic, unusual, and spontaneous changes to the way that we all conduct life and business. On the frontline, we are fortunate to have first responders and essential workers who take risk to ensure that safety, care, and supplies are available to everyone every day. These heroes accept risk and they expect fatigue. The values associated with Whiskey-7 for which we are so blessed to be the custodians, is already associated by the general public with ideals such as bravery, sacrifice, honor and hope. It is our intention to put this brand and these ideals to good use by saying ‘Thanks from Above’ to our first responders and essential workers.”

The planes will be mostly crossing New York state, departing from the Geneseo Airport at approximately 10 a.m. and heading southwest to Bermus Point – located about 40 miles east of Erie – before making their way east along the Route 17/I-86 corridor. After stopping to talk with the media and refueling in Binghamton, the planes will head north along Route 81 to Cortland, and then head southwest to fly over Ithaca and Watkins Glen before heading back to Geneseo.