HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — Capt. Charles Jax, an F-35 Lightning II pilot with the 388th Fighter Wing, will lead a flyover during the Minnesota Twins baseball game at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn., in remembrance of the 9/11 attacks.
The event will commemorate the lives lost on that tragic day, while also showcasing the U.S. Air Force's readiness and commitment to service. Jax will be flying alongside his wife, Capt. Chandler "Goldie" Jax, a 421st Fight Squadron F-35A pilot, marking their second flyover as a team.
This mission is more than just a tribute; it gives pilots and maintainers a valuable opportunity to train and fly away from home station.
"This flyover allows us to practice taking jets to a new location, operate in an unfamiliar airspace, and execute our mission efficiently," said Jax. "I'm hoping for a moment of silence while we're flying over to take everybody back to what it was like during those tough times – to remember the amount of patriotism in America on Sept. 12th."
For Jax and his team, the 9/11 memorial flyover is not only a display of military precision, but also a personal and professional reminder of why they serve, and he hopes it can inform younger generations who may not have experienced 9/11 firsthand.
"This kind of mission recenters us," said Jax. "It reminds us of the hard work we put in, and why we do it."