Click the link below to view the Holiday 2020 newsletter:

Holiday newsletter

The 2020 suspension of Honor Flight Missions due to Covid-19 will continue at least through February 2021; it could be longer.

However, Honor Flight Rochester remains Mission Ready and is eager to resume full operations once the safety of our Veterans and Volunteers is no longer in doubt. Veterans on our fly lists have shown admirable patience awaiting their “trip of a lifetime,” considering the delays and uncertainties of this Covid pandemic.

Until we take to the skies again, Honor Flight Rochester will be visibly recognizing our wait-listed Veterans by placing a patriotic lawn sign at their residence declaring, “Honor Flight Rochester Salutes this Veteran with a future Honor Flight.” This lawn sign initiative will emphasize that the greater Rochester community and our country have not forgotten their great sacrifice and service for us. Indeed, we will deploy about 150 Honor Flight Rochester Volunteers to complete this Mission.

Sign delivery to the Veterans’ residences will start this weekend and conclude by noon on Veterans Day. Honor Flight Rochester volunteers will fully comply with all Covid-19 precautions and social distancing.

Below are two local news stories about the sign deliveries.  Please note that neither story clarifies that this initiative is only for veterans awaiting their turn to travel and not those who previously took the trip.  Flown Veterans already were honored by the fact they took their Honor Flight.

WROC: https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/hfr-gives-new-lawn-signs-to-local-veterans/

WHAM: https://13wham.com/news/local/honor-flight-recognizes-veterans-during-the-pandemic

Click the link below to view the July 2020 newsletter:

July newsletter

Continuing with our abundance of caution Honor Flight Rochester is postponing missions to Washington, D.C. for September and October 2020.

While Honor Flight Rochester is Mission Ready, the safety of our veterans and volunteers is paramount and overrides all prior travel plans. After the COVID-19 pandemic fully subsides we will resume flying.

In anticipation of an uncertain start-up date, in the interim HFR will work on refreshing our processes and programs to align with the post pandemic era new requirements. Also you may find interesting our recently initiated Facebook photo series, “Why we do what we do!”

Honor Flight Rochester is in this for the long haul and holds in the highest regard the trust and goodwill of our veterans, volunteers and the greater Rochester community. We are eager to fly again but only when it is safe to do so. Veteran applications never expire and their places in line will be maintained.

Honor Flight Rochester loves our veterans and looks forward to recognizing their great service as soon as we can!

Questions will arise and may be directed to HFR President Rich Stewart. The Media may submit any questions by email to HFR at: [email protected].

Honor Flight Rochester (“HFR”) has postponed its June 20-21 Mission due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is aligned with the recent announcement by the national Honor Flight Network which extended the mandatory flight suspension until June 30. This is based on federal and state directives. Currently Maryland’s stay home order is “indefinite” in duration and Virginia’s stay home order runs through at least June 10. Arlington National Cemetery remains closed to the public and there is no date certain when ANC will reopen and resume public viewing of the changing of the guard.

We continue to monitor the federal and DC area orders. If further suspensions reaching into the fall flying season are necessary, the circumstances at that time will prevail and be closely reviewed.

Additionally the current suspension of all Honor Flight related Events will run at least through May 31^. Eventual resumption of HFR local Events must abide by ALL applicable local, state and federal mandates in place at that time. This includes but is not limited to group size, event location and any other specifications. All Events must fall within the legal criteria of the mandates.

As always the safety and health of our veterans and volunteers is paramount. HFR Missions are meant to be the trip of a lifetime for our area’s beloved Veterans. Our Veterans tend to be in a high-risk category, due to age and medical conditions, that put them at greater risk for contracting viruses, such as, Coronavirus (“COVID-19”). The apex for COVID-19 in Washington. DC is forecasted for this summer. Our Veterans will be better served by delaying our future missions until this pandemic has fully subsided. Those Veterans who were planning to fly with us on postponed missions, remain at the “top of the list” and will be flown as soon as HFR is able to take them on the trip of their lifetime.

Looking forward, HFR will wait until the risk from COVID-19 is in the past and it is entirely safe to travel. We want to avoid the potential exposure of our Veterans and Volunteers. This is the prudent path to follow.

Questions will arise and may be directed to HFR President Rich Stewart. The Media may submit any questions to HFR by submitting an email to: [email protected].

Federal officials have extended the deadline for Real ID compliance for one year as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Previously Americans had until Oct. 1, 2020 to get their new ID card but amid a national emergency, the Department of Homeland Security has moved the enforcement deadline to Oct. 1, 2021.

Unfortunately, Honor Flight Rochester has decided to postpone our May 2-3 Mission due to the Coronavirus. The virus is in Monroe County and in Washington, DC. We want to keep our Veterans and Volunteers safe.

We are monitoring the situation and will fly to DC when it is safe to do so.

Please continue to visit this website for updates.

Please click below to see the press release regarding the indefinite postponement of M70, originally scheduled for April 4-5, 2020:

M70 Postponement Press Release

Click the link below to view the February 2020 newsletter:

February newsletter

Click the link below to view the January 2020 newsletter:

January Newsletter