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Air Force Thunderbirds to Perform Super Bowl LIII Flyover

  • January 24, 2019
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  • 2 minute read
  • Charles Atkeison
Air Force Thunderbirds will perform a six-jet flyover of Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta on Feb. 3. (USAF)
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ATLANTA — Kick-off of Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams will begin in high fashion next Sunday with an Air Force Thunderbirds flyover.

The Air Combat Command made the official announcement on Wednesday following several meetings with both NFL officials and the Super Bowl host committee. The 53rd Super Bowl will take center stage across the globe on February 3, from Atlanta.

With smoke-on, the six jets of the Thunderbirds will soar over Mercedes-Benz Stadium to kick-off sports biggest game as Atlanta-born R and B legend Gladys Knight concludes the singing of the national anthem. Inside the stadium, an all-service U.S. Special Operations Command color guard will present the nation’s colors for the game’s national anthem.

The Thunderbirds will make their first public flight of 2019 over Super Bowl 53. (Atkeison)

The team’s red, white, and blue F-16 Fighting Falcons will fly in their signature Delta formation 500 feet above the stadium at a speed of about 450 m.p.h. The Thunderbirds flyover will occur at about 6:25 p.m.

“Supporting this event is a tremendous honor for the team and the U.S. Air Force,” Thunderbird Commander Lt. Col. John Caldwell said on Wednesday. “We look forward to showcasing the pride, precision, and professionalism of our nation’s 660,000 total force Airmen to football fans around the world.”

While in Atlanta, the Thunderbirds will be supported by nearby Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta. The 94th Airlift Wing will headquarter the pilots and crew, and provide fuel for the jets.

As for the retractable roof of Mercedes-Benz, the NFL states it will be a game day decision to have it open based on weather. NFL senior director of event operations Eric Finkelstein added on Wednesday that they may elect to leave it open just for the national anthem and fly over.

The Thunderbirds February 3 appearence will mark the squadron’s third Super Bowl flyover in five years. (USAF)

The Air Force has a budget to perform several flights above sporting events each year. In recent years, the Thunderbirds have flown over several Super Bowls, including in 2017 and 2015.

America’s Ambassadors in Blue are led by new team commander Lt. Col. John “Brick” Caldwell. Thunderbirds 2 through 8 are pilots Capt. Will “Boar” Graeff (left wing), Capt. Michael “Thorny” Brewer (right wing), Major Whit “Skate” Collins (slot), Major Matt Kimmel (lead solo); Capt. Michelle “Mace” Curran (opposing solo), Major Eric “Miami” Gorney (operations officer), and Major Jason “Flack” Markzon (advance pilot and narrator).

“The F-16 is a wonderful airplane to fly,” Major Collins noted. “There’s a lot of flight control computers in there that help you help the aircraft to fly. So you’re going from one G(ravity) to 9 G, it’s gonna be a smooth ride all the way there.”

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

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Charles Atkeison
Charles Atkeison

Charles A Atkeison is a long time aerospace journalist having covered both military and civilian aviation, plus 30 space shuttle launches from Cape Canaveral. He has produced multimedia aerospace content for CNN, London's Sky News, radio, print, and the web for twenty years. From flying with his father, a pilot, at age 5 to soaring as a VIP recently with the Navy's Blue Angels and USAF Thunderbirds, Charles continues to enjoy all aspects of flight. Charles regularly shares his content with Avgeekery.

Related Topics
  • Air Force
  • flyover
  • Super Bowl 53
  • Super Bowl LIII
  • Thunderbirds
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