Suspended Apache pilots reinstated after wowing beachgoers in July 4 flyover: ‘Carry on Patriots’

The eight Apache pilots who were controversially suspended after dazzling beachgoers with a Fourth of July airshow have been reinstated, officials announced.

“Effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted on social media Friday.

“Carry on Patriots,” he added.

The South Carolina National Guard pilots were suspended after a viral video showed the choppers making a low pass over the cheering, flag-waving crowds on the beach during the Salute from the Shore event on Saturday.

The eight pilots received a message immediately after landing, informing them they had been suspended pending an investigation into the flyover, a source close to the pilots told WPDE reported.

Military officials began an investigation after receiving complaints about the flyover, the source said.

The South Carolina National Guard stressed that the suspension, which was only from flight operations, was a “routine, non-punitive safety measure — not a disciplinary action.”

They added that all soldiers remained “in good standing” and would continue their duties on the ground. Their main concern was “safety,” officials said.

The announcement of the pilots’ reinstatement came one day after War Secretary Pete Hegseth promised, “We’ll fix this,” in a post on X.

The suspensions had sparked outrage among lawmakers.

Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) responded to the suspensions by demanding that the eight helicopter pilots’ flying privileges be restored immediately. 

“The [South Carolina National Guard] needs to drop this review and restore these pilots immediately,” Fry wrote on X.

“Millions of Americans applauded the incredible display during Salute to the Shore flyover while expressing complete admiration for them & appreciation for our country and military.

“These pilots should be celebrated, not sanctioned.” 

Echoing Fry, Republican state Rep. Tim McGinnis called the suspensions “ridiculous” in a Facebook post, suggesting that the flying ban could leave the Guard ill-prepared in the event of an emergency.