NATCHEZ — Eyes turned to the sky Thursday morning can expect to see angels flying over Natchez.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will fly over downtown Natchez between 8:15 and 8:45 a.m. en route to Texas. The jets will likely fly over Main Street, dropping down to approximately 1,000 feet, and head toward the river.

The Blue Angels are the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, with aviators from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines.

Tricentennial Director Jennifer Ogden Combs said the Blue Angels are completing a flyover as a salute to Natchez during the city’s tricentennial year.

“They are really excited about coming to Natchez to, in the lieutenant commander’s words, salute Natchez on its historic 300th birthday,” Combs said.

The Blue Angels are changing their route to Texas in order to fly over Natchez.

“We’re not a center for the kind of shows they do, and we’re not a hub for the Navy, so the fact that they are changing their route to fly over and kind of tip their hat to Natchez, I think that’s just wonderful,” Combs said.

“They’re one-of-a-kind and known all over the world, and they are tremendously iconic. It’s just a huge honor.”

The U.S. Navy has shown tremendous support to Natchez during its yearlong tricentennial celebration, Combs said.

The Navy dropped anchor in Natchez in September for Navy Week festivities, which will included Navy divers in dive tank demonstrations, a showcase of naval construction, mine warfare and oceanography equipment, Navy Band Southeast concerts, outreach for local schools and more.

“It’s been a huge honor for the U.S. Navy to be supporting so many of the events we have had this year,” Combs said.

Combs will be receiving updates as the Blue Angels make their way to Natchez Thursday, and she said those updates would be posted to the Tricentennial’s Facebook page — Natchez MS 300.