NORTH JERSEY — New Jersey residents who gaze at the Statue of Liberty or the Lower Manhattan skyline on Tuesday may see a plane trailing red, white, and blue smoke — the colors of the flags of both the United States and France.
In fact, the smoky colors are part of the Patrouille De France.
The Patrouille De France (literally "Patrol of France") is "part of the 'Liberté 250' mission, a special tour organized in the United States to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence and honor the Franco-American friendship," say organizers.
The planes will fly at 10:30 a.m., treating onlookers to "an exceptional aerial display over Manhattan, flying over the Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty," they said.
The Statue of Liberty was given to the U.S. as a gift in 1884 to honor the friendship between the two countries, going back to the Revolutionary War.
The nine Alpha Jets will fly over various historic sites along the East Coast all month as part of this celebration, which was first reported locally by the Weehawken Gazette.
Several viewing spots are marked on the interactive map “Vive la France in New York” on the Mapstr app, organizers said. Learn more here.
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