SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – In the land of the free and the home of the braves, the Atlanta Braves and Suncoast pilots, joined forces at Cool Today Park in Venice. A flyover timed to the national anthem was performed before the March 11th spring training game between the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays.
“We’re so proud of our country. We never lose sight of that regardless of politics and we just want to go ahead and show people that side of it so that we want to all work together for the country, for the future of this country. We’re 250 years in. Let’s make it another 250,” said John Moeckel, the coordinator of the flyover.
In total 14 planes and their pilots took part for this snapshot of Americana and they’ve been practicing every week.
“Phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal flyover. Great group to work with. They’ve done a lot of things with us and beautiful, beautiful skies,” said Mike Dunn, the Vice President of Florida Operations for the Atlanta Braves.
They flew over the stadium once, then did it in reverse and ended with a smoky, horizontal bomb burst.
“Never gets old. Flying is my passion and when you have a passion, it never gets old,” said Lonn “Snappy” Benson, a pilot with the Gulf Coast Raptors Formation Flight team.
Half the formation was made up of aerobatic aircrafts while the other features World War II planes. Flying one of those is veteran, Walt “Footloose” Fricke.
“I was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and I was flying a combat assault and a gunship when a rocket exploded coming out of the tube and it severed my left foot actually just above the ankle and I grabbed my knee and my foot flipped around and landed in my lap. That’s why I have the call sign footloose,” said Frick, who’s the air boss for Veterans Airlift Command.
Fricke’s foot was salvaged but he said it wasn’t until he saw his family, that the real healing began and so the idea for Veterans Airlift Command was born.
“Provides free private air transportation for combat wounded veterans and their families for medical and other compassionate purposes. It’s some 23,000 passengers since we began the work in 2006,” he said.
Last year, the Atlanta Braves donated $10,000 to the organization and they’re always looking for volunteers.
If you want more information on the Veterans Airlift Command, the website is: https://veteransairlift.org/.
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