Flowers by the thousands will fall over Palm Springs International Airport Monday during an annual Memorial Day tribute to the nation’s servicemen and women who were lost in wartime.
The “Flower Drop” hosted by the Palm Springs Air Museum is slated for 1 p.m. Monday, though activities will begin three hours earlier inside and outside the exhibition hall, 745 N. Gene Autry Trail.
“This is a very special day at the museum,” according to an official statement. “Our memorial service is dedicated to all of our fallen comrades, who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms.”
The day will feature aircraft showcases, musical entertainment, children’s recreation and refreshments.
Shortly before 1 p.m., multiple warbirds will take to the skies for a “missing man formation,” culminating in the flower drop salute, during which a Mitchell B-25, employed as a midrange bomber during World War II, will make a turn at safe altitude, releasing “over 3,000 red and white carnations,” according to the museum.
Throughout the day, attendees will be invited to take rides aboard a P-51 Mustang or T-6 Texan, offering a feel of what it was like to be in the cockpit during combat operations. The rides come at a minimum cost of $595 and can last as long as 60 minutes.
An F-117 Stealth Bomber will be available to view up close during festivities.
The price of admission to the daylong event ranges from $22-24, though kids under 12 are admitted free of charge.
More information is available at palmspringsairmuseum.org.