The National Warplane Museum (NWM) in Geneseo is honoring WNY healthcare workers and first responders with two flyovers in Genesee County on Saturday, May 16.

At the Batavia VA Medical Center, the flyover will occur at 11:20 a.m. (give or take 10 minutes).

At United Memorial Medical Center, the flyover will occur at 11:24 a.m. (give or take 10 minutes).

"Operation Thanks From Above" will feature NWM's very own Douglas C-47, affectionately named "Whiskey 7," and it will take to the skies accompanied by one other aircraft, a P-51 Mustang named "Mad Max."

The flight will salute the local first responders, medical and essential workers who have served and conitue to serve the WNY region during the coronavirus pandemic.

We hope you can attend and view a flyover. VA medical and UMMC staff members working on Saturday have been notified. 

• Batavia viewing – in front of Building 1, near Outpatient Entrance, 222 Richmond Ave., Batavia.
• UMMC viewing is at 330 Summit St., Batavia.

Parking is plentiful and free.

#ROCTheSky

#ThanksFromAbove

Submitted photos and press release:

Registered Nurse Natasha Smith (photo above) joined the United Memorial Medical Center nursing team as a traveling nurse in the Emergency Department, but quickly became part of the family. Smith has been busy making special headbands for her colleagues to alleviate some of the discomforts of regularly wearing masks.

“I came up with the headbands one night when I noticed I was getting raw behind my ears from the surgical masks. I am an avid headband wearer and thought adding buttons might help. I didn’t have anything like buttons that night, so I decided to poke holes in medicine caps and suture them to my headbands. It worked and the idea was born.”

Simply adding buttons to the headbands keeps surgical mask straps from continually rubbing health care worker's tender ears during long shifts.

A coworker posted a photo of her new headband to the "COVID-19: Real talk from Health Care Workers around the Globe" Facebook page and the idea was well received with 150 comments, 3.5K likes, and more than 30,000 shares.

This simple, yet genius, design will also be beneficial to health care workers required to mask during flu season – not just during the pandemic.

The headbands and Smith’s opportunity to help others have been a bright spot for her as a nurse in this coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s been a rough time for me. I haven’t seen my own children since the pandemic began and it makes me happy to know my silly little idea has helped others."

"The healthcare workers on the front lines are truly the heroes of the day today. Getting out of bed early in the morning, working through the nights, and braving the coronavirus virus to ensure citizens get the help and support they need during this crisis is nothing short of extraordinary. I, like many of you, have constantly been thinking about ways we can show our gratitude and support to these extraordinary individuals. I have some ideas I wanted to share with you today.

"The simplest thing we can do is follow instructions to make their jobs easier. That is, stay home if possible, practice social distancing, and help to flatten the curve. I’ve seen that this habit is being practiced with seriousness and great regularity, and I want to encourage those who haven’t done so to try to implement it into their daily lives for the time being. The fewer cases these healthcare workers have to worry about, the better.

"Another way to show support is through social media. Even if we can’t say our thanks to these heroes in person, the beauty of the modern world allows us to connect virtually, across entire continents. Find your local hospitals on social media, like that of Medina Memorial, United Memorial and Summit Medical Center, among others, and feel free to leave uplifting messages and videos for the staff who continue to work day and night throughout this crisis.

"Lastly, continue this habit after the crisis ends. It’s true that with all this free time, many people have the opportunity to give thanks and give back to our healthcare workers. But these heroes continue to work even after health crises like the one we face now are resolved. Being able to show kindness and support to our health officials is a small way we can continue to support them. I will be taking these steps, and I invite you to do the same."