NJ special education teacher flies high with U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
NEW HANOVER, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Special education teacher Miss Ellie Hyland soared with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds to teach a valuable lesson to her students.
The Thunderbirds selected Hyland as their hometown hero at the 2025 "Power in the Pines" Open House and Airshow at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL). As a result, she was able to fly as a passenger in one of the iconic F-16 Fighting Falcons. She was even able to perform some maneuvers of her own from the back seat.
Hyland teaches students aged 14 through 21 at Manchester Regional Day School in Ocean County, New Jersey.
When Hyland discovered she had been selected last week, she began incorporating lessons about airplanes and the military into her curriculum.
Today, she enjoyed a roughly hour-long flight in which she experienced a force of nine Gs. She was awarded a pin for joining the '9G Club' alongside a framed dedication from the Thunderbirds and an American flag that came along for the ride.
The Thunderbirds are expected to appear alongside other aircraft at the 2025 "Power in the Pines" Open House and Airshow on May 17th and May 18th at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
For more information about the air show, which is held every two years, visit their website.
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