SALT LAKE CITY — There are always local Utah connections to the Super Bowl on the field, but a renowned, local Air Force pilot will be taking part in the 'Big Game' before it even kicks off.
Major Kristin 'BEO' Wolfe, who has been Commander of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team out of Hill Air Force Base for a few seasons, will pilot the F-35 as part of a Heritage Flight Flyover during the National Anthem.
“It’ll be really exciting just for me as a pilot to see how it all comes together," said Maj. Wolfe to FOX 13 News.
BEO has been serving in the Air Force for more than a decade and comes to the F-35 Demo Team after serving combat assignments with the F-35 and F-22 Raptor.
“It’s (F-35) the Air Forces’ newest fighter that we have, it’s the most advanced technologically, we’re still getting new airplanes at Hill Air Force Base as we speak so it's really cool to get the latest technology straight off the line from Fort Worth delivered to Hill,” she said
BEO will be flying alongside other specialized, iconic aircraft in a 'five-ship formation.'
“I’ve never flown the five-ship with all four of us plus a warbird in it so that will be entertaining and also challenging," said Maj. Wolfe, who will be flying her first official flyover event in an F-35. “It’s much more complicated then say a four-ship of just F-35s doing a flyover for you know the Utah stadium. It's more complex because it is a five-ship of all dissimilar airplanes, so all five airplanes fly differently as different air speeds as well as they’re all a different wingspan, different length and that kind of stuff so to make a formation like that seem symmetrical and actually look good that is challenging in itself and then to actually nail the timing for a flyover is really complex.”
BEO plans to have two practice days in Los Angeles to practice spacing and timing with the other planes in the formation. The planes in the flyover will also be outfitted with live-streaming cameras.
