Vintage aircraft flyover to visit MH Saturday saluting COVID-19 response

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A fleet of World War II military aircraft participating in a statewide flyover Saturday will travel through Mountain Home at 4 p.m.Led by Steuart Walton, chairman of the Arkansas Economic Recovery Task Force, the statewide event will honor the frontline heroes in the fight against COVID-19.The four aircraft — one Goodyear F2G Super Corsair 1944 and three North American P51 Mustangs – will fly a single lap around Mountain Home. Residents are encouraged to step outside and view the formation.Each plane will be cruising at approximately 250 miles per hour, at an altitude of 1,000 feet when above densely populated areas.




Walton, an accomplished pilot, was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in April to lead the task force whose mission is to provide recommendations for effectively and responsibly reviving Arkansas’ economy.

The theme of the flyover is “Arkansas: A United State,” which Walton says is an important message to communicate.

“Every person in every corner of this state matters and we are united in our common resiliency, our grit, our determination and our faith in one another,” Walton says. “Social distancing prohibits us from shaking the hands of people we want to honor, but this flyover allows to do so from above. Just as a flyover event like this requires people to work together, so, too, does overcoming the challenges of this multi-faceted crisis. It’s important to get the message out that Arkansans are united in this effort.”




Walton calls flying a family passion. His grandfather, Walmart founder Sam Walton, would fly a plane over Walmart store parking lots in the early years of the retailer to count cars as an indication of business activity.

Flyovers will occur over 15 cities in Arkansas on Saturday, beginning in Bentonville at 8 a.m.

The Arkansas Economic Recovery Task Force has developed informational and educational resources to help businesses, non-profits and consumers re-engage with the state’s economy and can be found at www.arkansasready.com.



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