A New York City Fire Department fireboat gives a water salute for the 125th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge in 2008.
Water salute for the commencement of easyJet service at Gibraltar International Airport in 2016.
A fireboat gives a water salute to the USS Vandegrift by the Steel Bridge in Portland, Oregon.
Three water salutes were given for the Beijing medical team aiding Hubei, which returned to Beijing on 31 March 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei subsided, at Beijing Capital International Airport[1]

A water salute is an occasional occurrence used for a ceremonial purpose. It typically consists of a vehicle which travels under plumes of water expelled by one or more fire-fighting vehicles, as a mark of respect or appreciation.

At an airport, typically an even number of airport crash tender fire-fighting vehicles will arrange themselves perpendicularly along the sides of a taxiway or apron; they will emit coordinated plumes of water which will form an arch (or series of arches) as an aircraft passes. Symbolically, the procession looks similar to a bridal party walking under a wedding arch or the saber arch at a military wedding.

Water salutes have been used to mark the retirement of a senior pilot or air traffic controller, the first or last flight of an airline to an airport, the first or last flight of a specific type of aircraft, as a token of respect for the remains of soldiers killed in action,[2] or other notable events. When Concorde flew its last flight in 2003 from John F. Kennedy International Airport, red, white and blue coloured plumes were used.[3]

Water salutes are also used for ships and other watercraft, with water being delivered by fireboats. This is often done for the first or last visit or retirement of a senior captain, the first or last cruise of a ship, the visit of a warship, or other ceremonial occasions. A notable example was the water salute to HMS Hermes (R12) as she returned to Southampton following her part in the victory of the Falklands War.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "国航来赴"春天的约定" 接运北京援鄂医疗队回家". People.cn (in Chinese). 31 March 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "Jackson Proskow: Dallas airport passengers silently salute the return of a fallen hero". GlobalNews.ca. Global News. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "End of an era for Concorde". News.BBC.co.uk. BBC News. 24 October 2003. Retrieved 13 February 2020.

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