F-35C Lightning II, Two F/A-18F Super Hornets and an EA-18G Growler to Open Super Bowl LVII.
The U.S. Navy has announced that an all-female flight crew will conduct the four aircraft formation flyover during the national anthem at the opening of Super Bowl LVII this Sunday, February 12, 2023 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The aircraft performing the national anthem flyover will be an F-35C Lightning II from U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA- 97), the “Warhawks”; two F/A-18F Super Hornets of Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122), the “Flying Eagles”; and one EA- 18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129), the “Vikings”.
The U.S. Navy said in an official release that, “These aircraft represent the strike and electronic attack capability of the Carrier Air Wing of the Future, providing advanced technology and enhanced flexibility to our military combatant commanders.”
An all-female flight crew was selected for the flyover to commemorate the 50th anniversary of women flying in the U.S. Navy.
The flight crew for the Super Bowl LVII flyover are:
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Arielle Ash from Abilene, Texas. Lt. Ash is a graduate of Texas Tech University. She will fly the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122), the “Flying Eagles”. Lt. Ash has 910 flight hours.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Margaret Dente of North Salem, New York. Lt. Dente graduated from the University of Southern California. She will be onboard an EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft of Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129), the “Vikings”. Lt. Dente has accumulated 1,300 hours of flight time and was recently deployed operationally on a cruise aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). Dente’s grandfather was a U.S Marine helicopter during the Vietnam conflict and her father is also a pilot.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Jacqueline Drew of Waltham, Massachusetts. Lt. Drew will be flying the advanced, 5th gen. F-35C Lightning II, the large-winged, heavy landing gear aircraft carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, from U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA- 97), the “Warhawks”. Lt. Drew is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and has flown 1,000 hours.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Lyndsay Evans from Palmdale, California. Lt. Evans is a graduate of the University of Southern California. She will be onboard an EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft as a member of the elite Electronic Attack Weapons School (EAWS). She was deployed operationally during 2018 onboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Kathryn Martinez originally from Springfield, Virginia and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Lt. Martinez is an F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot and has accumulated 1,200 flying hours. She was recently deployed onboard the USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75).
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Saree Moreno of Birmingham, Alabama and a graduate of the prestigious U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Lt. Moreno flies the F/A-18F Super Hornet for Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122), the “Flying Eagles”. She has accumulated 1,200 flying hours. Lt. Moreno was deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Naomi Ngalle of Springfield, Virginia and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. Lt. Ngalle is a member of Strike Fighter Squadron 2 (VFA-2), the “Bounty Hunters”. She flies the F/A-18F Super Hornet and has accumulated over 565 flying hours.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Caitie Perkowski of Albuquerque, New Mexico and also a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapollis. Lt. Perkowski is a member of Strike Fighter Squadron 192 (VFA-192), the “World Famous Golden Dragons”. She has accumulated 602 flying hours and currently flies the F/A-18E Super Hornet.
U.S. Navy Flight Surgeon Lieutenant Taylor Rudolph of Memphis, Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Alabama, Medical School VCOM-Carolinas. Lt. Rudolph has a total of 50 hours flight time and is a crewmember onboard the F/A-18F Super Hornet for the Super Bowl Flyover.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Suzelle Thomas of Birmingham, Alabama and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Lt. Thomas flies the fifth generation F-35C Lightning II for Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA-97), the “Warhawks”. She has flown 350 hours.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Calli Zimmerman of San Jose, California and a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno. LCDR Zimmerman flies the F/A-18E Super Hornet for Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122), the “Flying Eagles”. She has accumulated over 1,315 flying hours and was previously deployed onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
In addition to the officer aircrew contingent supporting the Super Bowl LVII flyover, the majority of the enlisted logistics and maintenance personnel are also women from the U.S. Navy.
As with all traditional flyovers at an NFL Super Bowl, the four-ship aircraft formation will attempt to time their appearance over State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona to perfection so it coincides with the final notes of the national anthem.
