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Inside the Super Bowl LVI Flyover

Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation pilot Steve Hinton reveals secrets of the flyover’s split-second timing and tight formation.

p-51 mustang wee willy II
A vintage P-51D Mustang named “Wee Willy II” will take part in Sunday’s Super Bowl flyover. [File Photo Courtesy AFHFF]
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Key Takeaways:

  • The Super Bowl LVI flyover, honoring the U.S. Air Force's 75th anniversary, will feature five historic military aircraft, including a P-51D Mustang piloted by veteran Steve Hinton in his final heritage flight.
  • Executing this complex aerial display requires extensive planning, practice, and precise coordination among military, NFL, and FAA personnel to achieve "time on target" over the stadium during the national anthem's final note.
  • Super Bowl flyovers, a tradition since 1968, aim to inspire patriotism and aviation enthusiasm, while also serving as legitimate "time-over-target" training for military pilots at no extra cost to taxpayers.
  • A significant Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) will be in place around SoFi Stadium for Super Bowl LVI, impacting general aviation within a 10-nautical-mile radius of the venue.
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During the final notes of the national anthem at Sunday’s Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, most fans will be thinking about the matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams. Others will be looking up, scanning the sky for the flyover. 

The pre-game flyover is a Super Bowl ritual more than half a century old. Although it only lasts a few seconds, for many pilots and aviation enthusiasts, it’s one of the most thrilling moments of the game. Previous flyovers at the NFL championship game have included the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Army helicopters, and even three different types of bombers. 

Thom Patterson

Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.

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