U.S. Air Force Bomber Trifecta Ready to Kick Off Super Bowl LV

Two B-1 Lancers and a B-52 Stratofortress conduct a practice flyover of Raymond James Stadium Friday evening. The B-2 Spirit did not participate in the practice flyover but will lead the formation on Sunday. U.S. Air Force photo by Tiffany A. Emery.

While the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been working to get ready for Sunday’s big game over the last two weeks, It Is the United States Air Force’s Global Strike Command who has been working for months to make sure Super Bowl LV gets off to a good start.

For the first time ever at a live sporting event, a B-1 Lancer, a B-2 Spirit, and a B-52 Stratofortress will all join together to form what Global Strike Command calls the Bomber Trifecta, a rare three-ship formation made up of the U.S. Air Force’s three active bombers. The last known public appearance for the Bomber Trifecta was at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2017.

The B-1B Lancer will be coming from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, flown by Major Michael Webster. The B-2 Spirit will be coming from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, piloted by Captain Sarah Kociuba. Finally, the B-52 Stratofortress will be coming from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and will be flown by Captain Colter Huyler. Each aircraft will leave their home bases at different times, traveling across the country and rendezvousing over the Gulf of Mexico. Spare aircraft will also make the trip and will be standing at the ready if needed.

Once the bombers rendezvous over the Gulf of Mexico, they’ll be joined by two KC-135 Stratotankers from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The bombers will complete an aerial refueling as part of their aerial refueling currency training, and then they’ll break away from the tankers and prepare for their run-in to Raymond James Stadium.

A B-1B Lancer takes off from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, for a flyover rehearsal in Tampa, Florida on Friday. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Jonah Fronk.

Over the last several months, the bomber pilots, along with the commander of Air Combat Command Aerial Events, have been coordinating the flyover and putting together detailed briefings. This includes maps of the local area, maps of the holding area, altitude restrictions, ceiling requirements, and flight paths. On Sunday, the pilots will rely on calculations made by both themselves and their flight computers, as well as communications coming from a ground controller to nail their time on target.

Estimated time on target for Sunday night’s flyover is 23:26:28 Zulu time, or 6:26:28 PM eastern time. The formation will orbit in a holding pattern south of Raymond James Stadium before starting their run-in from south to north. Once headed towards the stadium, the ground controller at the top of the stadium will provide updates to the formation, with the pilots speeding up or slowing down to compensate for any deviations. The plan is to be over the stadium during the final note of the national anthem, doing 250 to 300 knots at around 1000 feet. The B-2 will be leading with formation with the B-52 on its left wing and the B-1 on its right wing.

Following the flyover, each aircraft will break away from the formation and will head back to home station, landing well after the end of the game. Sunday’s mission will last between 6-8 hours for each pilot and crew, and will provide essential time over target and aerial refueling training at no extra expense to the American tax payer. It’s not every day that all three bombers have the opportunity to train together, so any time they can all get together is a huge benefit to Global Strike Command. The flying hours come from the Air Force Flying Hour Program, a program that comprises the number of hours needed to attain and maintain combat readiness and capability for its aircrews.

For the latest updates and contents relating to Sunday’s Super Bowl LV flyover, stay tuned to our website, social media, and mobile app. Additionally, check out our new Bomber Trifecta merchandise on our products page!

A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress assigned to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, flies near a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, during a training mission on Friday. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Shannon Bowman.