A group of local pilots joined together Monday morning for a high-flying show of support for area health-care workers.

Four pilots took off from the Lompoc Airport in the late morning for a flyover in the skies over the Lompoc and Santa Ynez valleys as a way to show appreciation for the staffs at Lompoc Valley Medical Center, the Lompoc Comprehensive Care Center, the Lompoc Health clinics and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital.

The group started by passing over LVMC and the Lompoc Police Department before heading east for a similar display over the hospital in Solvang.

The move followed similar gestures, including a flyover conducted by the California Air National Guard over Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria last week, that have taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At least 30 staffers from Lompoc medical facilities went outside to watch and wave to the parade of planes.

The flyover was organized by local pilot Howard Wallace, who flew one of the planes. He was joined by fellow local pilots Robert Perty, Mitch Latting and Dave Hughes. Eric Andreason, an officer with the Lompoc Police Department, rode along in one of the planes.

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