Suspension lifted for Apache pilots after July 4 beach flyover caused alarm

Suspension for eight South Carolina National Guard helicopter pilots was lifted after July 4 “Salute from the Shore” concerns about low-altitude flying over crowded beaches. The pilots had been grounded following online images that appeared to show Apache helicopters flying at a lower altitude near beachgoers. A Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, announced on social media that the “suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots” was removed “effective immediately.” The “Salute from the Shore” event, a decade-long tradition, includes military aircraft along the state’s 187-mile coastline, and this year marked the first inclusion of Apache helicopters alongside F-16s and C-17s. The Guard said the suspension was a routine, non-punitive safety measure, not a disciplinary action, while criticism came from state and federal officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Rep. Russell Fry. Governor Henry McMaster supported the pilots before their reinstatement.