180th Fighter Wing to fly over local schools for Military Appreciation Night

SWANTON, Ohio — Jets from the 180th Fighter Wing will conduct flyovers at seven different northwest Ohio schools next week in honor of Military Appreciation Night.

The event, a partnership between the Anthony Wayne Local Schools and the Swanton military base, will fly over the following schools during home football games on the evening of Sept. 12:

• Swanton High School: 6:40 p.m.
• Springfield High School: 6:42 p.m.
• Clay High School: 6:45 p.m.
• Northview High School:: 6:49 p.m.
• Southview High School: 6:50 p.m.
• Maumee High School: 6:51 p.m.
• Anthony Wayne High School: 6:55 p.m.

The four pilots selected for the flyovers — Col. Curtis Voltz, Major Josh Caudill, Capt. Todd Copic II and Capt. Josh Utter — are residents of the Anthony Wayne school district, and three of them have children who attend school in the district, according to Anthony Wayne spokesperson Rebecca Sanford.

All military veterans and active-duty service members will get free admission to the football games with a valid military ID.

“Bringing seven schools together for one night to collectively honor our military is truly special,” said Christine Young, military families school liaison for Anthony Wayne. “These flyovers are about more than the planes in the sky – they’re about showing every service member and their family that Northwest Ohio stands behind them.”

All seven schools are also designated Purple Star Schools by the Ohio Department of Education, meaning they show support for students and their families who have connections to the military.

The flyovers are weather-dependent and may be canceled for safety reasons if necessary, Sanford said.