Military Jet Flyovers Thrilling But Very Expensive

'08 Super Bowl flyby cost $36K for 4-second event

By Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla. — A flyby at a sports event can inspire a crowd like nothing else. But is it the best use of military time and money?

The noise inside University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale grew deafening as Jordin Sparks finished the national anthem before the start of this year's Super Bowl.

It was time for that newly minted American sports tradition that puts an exclamation point on the pregame ceremonies: a military flyover.

Only this time, no one at the game noticed. The stadium's roof was closed. No one could see the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels overhead. And it was so loud inside that no one could even hear the jets. But the almost 100 million watching on TV did get to see them for about four seconds.

A spokesman estimated the cost of sending the six F/A-18A Hornets from their training home in El Centro, Calif., to Arizona and back at $36,000.

Flybys fairly easy to get

Flyovers, once unexpected moments at major sporting events, are now almost the norm, expected parts of pregame festivities. But an Orlando Sentinel investigation has found that you don't have to reach a very high bar to get one.

At a time when the United States is fighting a war, flybys provide feel-good moments for fans, for sports leagues and even for athletes themselves — a spectacle that gives any sporting event added prestige and excitement. But are flyovers worth it, or are they a high-priced folly?

"For the publicity aspect of it, I'd say it's definitely well worth it when you consider the cost to advertise during the Super Bowl," Blue Angels press officer Capt. Tyson Dunkelberger said.

"The more people see our blue jets and recognize the Navy, the better it is for us."

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will perform a similar fly-by today before the Daytona 500.

An Air Force spokeswoman said eight F-16 Fighting Falcon jets will fly from Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas to Daytona Beach and back at a cost of $80,000. For the flyover itself, six jets will be in the air for 40 minutes, at an approximate fuel cost of $6,000.

"We have this mission to bring the story of the Air Force to people who may not have an Air Force base near them," Thunderbirds press officer Capt. Elizabeth Kreft said.

"We're going to reach an untold number of homes with the Air Force message, and that's why we were given permission to do it."

Military officials say the fly-bys boost recruiting efforts and give Americans an opportunity to see their aircraft in action.

Officials also insist that flyovers don't cost taxpayers any additional money, because each flyover counts as a training flight and comes out of already existing training budgets and schedules.

"Baloney," said Winslow Wheeler, an analyst with the Center for Defense Information in Washington, D.C. "It's atrocious training. They're flying from Point A to Point B. They're doing a couple of sort of low-altitude passes over the events and they go home. That's what pilots call 'converting gas to noise.' "

The Orlando Sentinel investigation shows the Air Force, the Army, the Marine Corps and the Navy receive about 850 requests for flyovers or parachute jumps at sporting events each year, and the vast majority of those requests are deemed eligible for aerial support — even if they're opening ceremonies for local Little League games or international tennis matches or minor-league baseball games.

Once an event is deemed eligible, usually it's up to individual teams or leagues to find available squadrons to perform the flyby. Department of Defense Form 2535, the three-page application that must be filled out for every flyby request, makes no mention of sporting events.

Its instructions state that "requests for flyovers will be considered only for aviation-oriented events . . . or for patriotic observances (one day only) held in conjunction with Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, POW/MIA Recognition Day or Veterans Day."