BLUE ANGELS Honor COVID-19 Staff At Hospital

May 14, 2020 at 12:32 pm by bryan


(MURFREESBORO) At lunchtime Thursday (5/14/2020) crowds of onlookers assembled in the parking at Ascension St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital. Suddenly at 12:03PM someone shouted "there they are". Within seconds you heard the jet roar of the Navy's Blue Angels as the skilled team flew over the Murfreesboro hospital.

The fly-over was honoring the hospital's workers who have kept us safe during this COVID-19 period. The tribute was over before you knew it, but at speeds around 700 miles per hour, it does not take long to pass over the hospital.

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Why were they not flying faster? Well, the speed of sound is 761 miles per hour, and the Blue Angels try not to break the sound barrier and create a sonic boom that could disturb many on the ground. In fact, officials say that the jets can poke along at a 120 miles per hour.

A formation of six F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft made the 17-minute run that started over Walter Hill, moved to Murfreesboro, went over the Captain Jeff Kuss Memorial and hospital in Smyrna and then headed to Franklin, jettisoned over Nashville's hospitals and then a finale in Madison.

That's a lot of territory, but again--at speeds around 700 miles per hour--it does not take long.

Blue Angel flyover 5-14-20

Posted by Good Neighbor Station on Thursday, May 14, 2020


More On Jeff Kuss Memorial

On June 2, 2016, our nation was deeply impacted by the tragic in-flight accident of United States Marine Corps Captain Jeff Kuss while flying as Blue Angel #6 in practice for the Great Tennessee Airshow, in Smyrna, Tennessee. Following this tragedy, the Smyrna community and Blue Angels fans around the country mourned and showed an outpouring of support for the Kuss Family.joijid







































Memorial in Smyrna, TN honoring USMC Captain Jeff Kuss
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Immediately following the tragedy, an impromptu vigil was held by local citizens at the Lee Victory Recreation Park. In the days following, the community began reaching out to create a memorial in Capt. Kuss' honor.

It is now a reality, and located on a knoll overlooking the Sam Ridley Parkway, across from the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport. Captain Kuss' Blue Angel jet crashed in a field adjacent to the Historic Sam Davis Home. That's approximately three-quarters of a mile from the memorial.

By the way, The Blue Angels are the second oldest aerobatic flight team in the world. They were formed in 1946. The oldest team is Patrouille de France formed in 1931.
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