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Wings of Destiny fly over Super Bowl

by Sgt. Duncan Brennan, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade
Feb 6, 2014

Staff Sgt. Jonathan Mize, B Company, 6th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, watches for hazards
on the ground before flying to the Super Bowl at Stewart International Airport, New Windsor, N.Y., Sunday.
Photo By Capt. Christina Wright | 101st Cab

NEWBURGH, N.Y. – Crew chiefs from 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division,
guided UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters over the Super Bowl at Met Life
Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday.

The crew chiefs were part of a detachment of Soldiers conducting the flyover after the national

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anthem.

In normal flight, the helicopters fly spaced far enough apart so that the wind created by the main
rotors of each aircraft do not interfere with the flight of the other helicopters in the formation.
Flying in close quarters requires a lot of concentration on the controls by the pilot and co-pilot. It
falls on the crew chiefs to relay to the pilot if they are getting too close to the other aircraft to
assist in maintaining their position within the formation.

“I had to make sure that we were centered on the lead Apache,” said Sgt. Patricia Fowler, UH-60
Black Hawk helicopter crew chief, B Company, 5th Battalion, 101st CAB, “Lancers.” “I had to lean
out the side of the aircraft and make sure that not only were we centered on the lead Apache, but
I had to make sure that the other Apaches left enough space for my aircraft to fit safely between
them.”

To keep the pilots safely in position requires constant vigilance throughout the flight. The crew
chief not only has to keep an eye on the aircraft to the front, but also has to keep an eye on the
helicopters behind so that there are multiple eyes on the spacing.

“You have a triangle scan,” said Fowler. “You have to look forward of the aircraft, out to the sides
and then behind to make sure you know where you are among the other members of the
formation. It’s tiring, but you’ve got so much adrenaline going at the time that you don’t always
notice it.”

On an event like this, the work doesn’t begin once the helicopters have lifted off and are on their
way to the destination. The crew chiefs put in countless hours preparing the aircraft and making
sure they are fit to fly.

“Flying is not the bulk of our work,” said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Mize, standardization instructor, B
Company, 6th Battalion, 101st CAB, “Pachyderms.” “Most of our work is done before. On the
Chinooks, the crew preps the aircraft, get it inspected and make sure it’s ready to fly.”

Even with all of the work that went into preparing for the flyover, the crew chiefs shared in the
sense of satisfaction. For the men and women who helped the Wings of Destiny fly over the
Super Bowl, it was an unforgettable experience.

“When we flew over the stadium,” said Mize. “I thought I was going to wake up. When we were

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over the stadium and saw the fans looking up at us, it was just surreal. In my 14 years in the
Army, I’ve spent all but 22 months of it at the 101st. Being able to represent the 101st Airborne,
and making us look good as I’ve been told by my chain of command, It’s satisfying.”

After long hours of rehearsals in the bitter cold, the success of the Super Bowl flyover is
incredibly sweet for everyone involved. For the crews, this was truly a rendezvous with destiny.

“We were so low that we could see the looks on people’s faces,” said Fowler. “We could see the
singer’s face and Peyton Manning. Their faces looked between joy and total awe, it was amazing.
We could even hear the roar of the crowd over the helicopter. I feel incredible that I was chosen
to be a part of this.”

101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Super Bowl XLVIII Flyover

0:55 Updated Feb 6, 2014

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