LOS ANGELES — A pilot from a demonstration team at Hill Air Force Base will participate in a unique flyover during the National Anthem performed before kickoff at the 56th Super Bowl next month.
The flyover above SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13 will involve five different types of aircraft flying in formation, from Air Force bases in five different states.
One of those will be an F-35A Lightning II flown by Major Kristin “BEO” Wolfe. She leads the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team, which is based at Hill.
How cool is this?!@F35demoteam, led by Major Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, from @HAFB will be one of five aircraft flying in formation during the National Anthem performance at #SuperBowlLVI on Feb. 13th! pic.twitter.com/AJMofpfCko
— 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐞 (@brian_schnee) January 24, 2022
The other four aircraft participating will be:
- P-51 Mustang from the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation, Chino, California
- A-10C Thunderbolt II from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona
- F-16 Fighting Falcon from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
- F-22A Raptor from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
Staff Sgt. Codie Trimble said this flyover will be the first of its kind, with a World War II-era P-51 Mustang flying in a formation with the four other planes.
The Air Force says it performs about 1,000 flyovers each year. And while they "serve as a way to showcase the capabilities of our aircraft while also inspiring patriotism and future generations of aviation enthusiasts," the Air Force also says the flyovers do not incur any additional costs to taxpayers and serve as a valuable training experience for pilots, crew members and other personnel.
The Super Bowl matchup is not set yet — it will come down to the winners of two conference championship games this Sunday. The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC Championship, and the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will compete for the NFC title.
