F-16 jets expected to fly over Des Moines metro on Saturday to honor a brigadier general

If you look up in the sky in West Des Moines on Saturday morning, you may catch F-16 jets overhead.

They are in honor of Brig. Gen. Travis Acheson who died June 21 after battling brain cancer for the last year.

Who is Brig. Gen. Travis Acheson?

Acheson was born on July 4, 1968, in Des Moines. He grew up on Army Post Road in West Des Moines and graduated from Valley High School in 1986, according to an obituary published in the Des Moines Register. Acheson graduated from the University of Iowa and went on to spend the majority of his life flying airplanes, his obituary said.

When Acheson retired from the military in 2022 as a brigadier general, his entire tenure totaled 33 years of service. He was a command pilot with nearly 3,000 hours of flight in the F-16 fighter jet. Acheson also worked as a commercial pilot with American Airlines for more than 20 years.

When can you see the F-16?

The F-16 jets will fly over West Des Moines from approximately 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in honor of Acheson. Weather may impact the visibility of the jets. The F-16s were expected to fly into Des Moines on Friday ahead of the ceremony.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: F-16 jets to fly over Des Moines in honor of US Air Force veteran