Here's why a flyover in D.C. is such a big deal

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[h=4]Here's why a flyover in D.C. is such a big deal[/h]It's unique enough that those planes are fighter jets and bombers from WWII, but they are also flying in some of the country's most-restricted airspace.

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The Arsenal of Democracy: WWII Victory Capitol Flyover prepares for commemorative flights which will fly over Washington, D.C. and National Mall on the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on May 8, 2015. Jack Gruber


A member of the U.S. Secret Service scans the grounds surrounding the White House from the roof with the Washington Monument in the background on Oct. 23, 2014.(Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images)


When 56 planes fly over the National Mall on Friday, they will be in some of the most secure and restricted airspace in the world.
It's unique enough that those planes are fighters and bombers from WWII, but they are also flying a path that's been severely restricted since the terrorist hijackings Sept. 11, 2001.
The event is the "Arsenal of Democracy: WWII Victory Capitol Flyover," a celebration of Victory in Europe Day, when Germany surrendered to the Allies 70 years ago.
USA TODAY
WWII planes will fill D.C.'s restricted airspace for V-E Day




Pete Bunce, CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, which helped organize the event, spent a year coordinating plans with the Federal Aviation Administration, Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration and National Park Service to fly the vintage planes into the heavily controlled airspace over Washington.
"Even after the gyrocopter incident, everybody was focused and said we're doing this for the right reasons," Bunce said. "There was no wavering or anything else."
Secret Service searched the planes Friday morning and everything is ready to go, Bunce said. "You couldn't ask for more support."
USA TODAY
WWII vets gather for rare flyover of vintage planes celebrating VE day




Sure, passengers going in and out of nearby Reagan National Airport can see D.C.'s famous monuments and memorials as they take off and land, but those planes must stay over the Potomac River. The airport will be closed to commercial flights during the noon hour for the flyover.

The monuments of Washington are silhouetted through the lifting fog over the nation's capitol as seen from an overlook in Arlington, Va.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)

Flying planes with standard, limited or experimental certificates over national landmarks inside restricted airspace poses significant legal and logistical challenges.
"We had to assess and mitigate the risks, which included focusing on the specific route over the Potomac River to minimize exposure to people and property on the ground," the FAA's Jim Viola, said in this month's Safety Briefing magazine. Viola is the manager of the FAA's General Aviation and Commercial Division.
The FAA had to coordinate with National Airport to put a hold on departures during the event. And while flying the historic route over The Mall, planes can maneuver to a non-congested area within 30 seconds if required.
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