Ex-Ranger Colton Orr flies with Thunderbirds in honor of community service

Former New York Rangers forward Colton Orr rode in an F-16 with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as part of the Hometown Hero program before the Air Dot Show in New York.

Colton Orr, who spent more than a decade in the NHL with the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs, was honored by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds through their Hometown Hero program. On Friday, July 31, he joined a Thunderbirds crew at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, sitting in the rear seat of an F-16 Fighting Falcon for a 45-minute flight that demonstrated speeds and maneuvers generating forces of up to nine G. The event served as a preview for the Air Dot Show New York, scheduled for Aug. 1-2 at Orange County Airport in Montgomery, where the Thunderbirds will headline alongside the West Point Parachute Team and historic aircraft.

Since retiring, Orr has focused on youth development, serving as director of hockey at The Harvey School in Katonah and coaching with the Danbury Hattricks, among other roles. He remains active with the Rangers Alumni Association and supports charities such as the Garden of Dreams Foundation and Hockey Fights Cancer. His participation highlights the link between athletic leadership and community service.