Perhaps you too were shocked by the booming sound of jets flying over DC around 11:10 AM Friday morning. The planes were participating in a flyover during a ceremony commemorating the opening of the National World War I Memorial in Pershing Park.
The pilots performing the fly-by through northwest DC are members of the 94th Fighter Squadron, a unit recognized for their success during WWI. Joe Lowry, who serves as the House of Representatives’ director of emergency preparedness, tweeted that the two planes were F-22 Raptors.
Heads up for those in DC along the Mall later today. At 11:10AM, two F-22 Raptors will conduct a flyover for the dedication of the new World War I Memorial in the area of 14th Street (Freedom Plaza/Pershing Park). Free airshow! @HelicoptersofDC pic.twitter.com/znJQqmJiJf
— Joe Lowry (@PreparednessJoe) April 16, 2021
Twitter had a lot to say about the sudden, surprising noise. Even White House press secretary Jen Psaki interrupted her briefing to remark on it.
Well, that was discombobulating.#JetsScrambled
— Dacha DC (@DachaDC) April 16, 2021
was that the aliens
— Brittany Shepherd (@brittanys) April 16, 2021
https://twitter.com/NRMorrow/status/1383080659430879233
"Wow, there is a plane right overhead." — WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki interrupted during today's daily briefing. pic.twitter.com/UDxCur54ip
— The Recount (@therecount) April 16, 2021
random DC flyover thing reminds me of one of my last favorite memories there, when they had a procession of WWII-era planes fly over the mall in the middle of a workday. that was a fun day!
— Tim Murphy (@timothypmurphy) April 16, 2021
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Takoma.
