Historic planes lead Sussex County flyover

Seven historic planes circled Sussex County to pay tribute to COVID-19 frontline workers and first responders during a May 23 flyover.

Led by Panchito, a restored World War II B-25 Mitchell bomber, the planes took off from Delaware Coastal Airport near Georgetown starting about 11 a.m. They returned, refueled and did another sortie around 1 p.m.

The planes flew over hospitals and other medical facilities, nursing homes, and fire and police departments. They also flew over high schools throughout Sussex County to honor this year’s graduating class.

Along the route, people gathered near flyover locations and even along sides of roads to catch a glimpse of the planes.

Taking part in the flyover were Panchito; Rosalie, a P-51 Mustang; Beechcraft C-45 and Beechcraft 18 operated by Chorman Aerial Spraying; Cessna L-19 Bird Dog; Tiger Moth biplane; and Aeronca L-16B.

The event was coordinated by Delaware Aviation Museum at Delaware Coastal Airport in partnership with Rickards Auto Body & Restoration, Chorman Aerial Spraying and WGMD. The planes, except the C-45, are housed at the airport. For more information on the museum, go to delawareaviationmuseum.org.