TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Sunday’s Super Bowl LV in Tampa will be historic for many reasons – it’s the first time an NFL team is playing a Super Bowl at home and will feature the first woman working as an official for the Big Game.
But the history-making started with the flyover that took place over Raymond James Stadium before kickoff. Three different Air Force bombers conducted the first-of-its-kind trifecta flyover during the National Anthem.
The bombers included a B-1B Lancer from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, a B-2 Spirit from Whiteman AFB in Missouri and a B-52 Stratofortress from Minot AFB in North Dakota.
The significance? If you add B52 + B2 + B1, you get 55 – in honor of Super Bowl LV.
The aircraft took off from their respective bases and joined up for the flyover. They will now return to base. The Air Force says this “demonstrates the flexibility of AFGSC’s bombers and their ability to deploy anywhere in the world from the continental United States.”
“Supporting this event is a tremendous honor for our command and the U.S. Air Force,” said Gen. Tim Ray, AFGSC commander. “We look forward to this opportunity to showcase the reliability, flexibility and precision of our bomber fleet to the nation during this exciting event.”
