OCEAN CITY – The “humble hero” has been selected to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as part of their “Hometown Hero” program that honors deserving local people, OC Air Show officials announced today.
On Friday, June 18, at 10:30 a.m. (from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility), Jonathan Bauer will get to experience the ride of his life in the backseat of an F-16 with Thunderbird #8 Major Jason Markzon as his pilot.
On his 45-minute flight, Bauer will experience the thrill of hitting up to seven G’s, along with the accompanying twists, spins and turns of the best roller coaster ride imaginable.
“This is such an honor to be chosen by the Thunderbirds as their ‘Hometown Hero’,” said Bauer. “I am incredibly excited to be given this opportunity.”
Bauer, who is vice president of information systems for Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, Maryland, made national news last month after he jumped 25-feet from the Route 90 bridge into Assawoman Bay to save an 18-month-old girl from drowning. She was thrown from a vehicle into the water after a crash. Bauer was referred to as the “humble hero” throughout the week after the incident as he wished to remain anonymous until a press conference was held to reunite him, first responders and other Good Samaritans who assisted in the rescue effort.
Given his heroic efforts, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan recently presented a governor’s citation to the southwest Pennsylvania native. Additionally, Bauer, his wife, Wendi, and daughter, Ava, were also named honorary members of the Ocean City Fire Department.
The U.S. Air Force’s top two demonstration teams – the Thunderbirds and the F-22 Raptor Demo Team – will be the featured performers when the 14th annual OC Air Show returns to the Ocean City beach and boardwalk, June 19-20.
Other show performers will include the A-10 Thunderbolt II, United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team (Para-Commandos), GEICO Skytypers Air Show Team, Mike Wiskus, C-17 Globemaster III and C-5M Super Galaxy.
The OC Air Show will take place under a series of “Stay Safe and Separate Initiatives” to ensure the safety of guests and spectators at this year’s event. For more information about these initiatives and the show, please visit the event website — https://ocairshow.com/.
Part of the 2021 AirDotShow Live Tour, the OC Air Show is the fourth of six tour destinations which also includes Cocoa Beach, Florida; Fort Lauderdale; Atlanta; New York; and Orlando. For more information on the tour please visit https://air.show