The pregame ceremonies for today’s Super Bowl 55 in Tampa will include a fly-by featuring three U-S Air Force bombers, including 2 from bases in the Dakotas.
A B-1 Lancer from Ellsworth AFB near Rapid City will be joined by a B-52 from Minot, ND, and a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber from Whiteman AFB in Missouri. It is the first time all three types of bombers will fly over during the game.
The flyovers don’t cost the taxpayers anything extra; they take the place of regular training flights. The bases found out in December they were picked for the Super Bowl flights and have been preparing ever since.
Major Michael Webster, instructor/weapons systems officer with the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth, calls it “an incredible honor” to be selected while Captain Abraham Morland is “super excited” to be part of the B-1 crew making the flight.
Morland says the hardest part is making sure they take off in time to make the scheduled rendezvous with the other planes. The B-2 will lead the formation over the stadium.