U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds set to perform Super Bowl LIII flyover

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DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. --  The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Thunderbirds will conduct a flyover during the National Anthem performance at Super Bowl LIII, Feb. 3, 2019, over Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia.

“Supporting this event is a tremendous honor for the team and the U.S. Air Force,” said Lt. Col. John Caldwell, the Thunderbirds Commander/Leader. “We look forward to showcasing the pride, precision and professionalism of our nation’s 660,000 total force Airmen to football fans around the world.”

The Thunderbirds flyover, its first public event in 2019, will feature six F-16 Fighting Falcons, soaring over the Mercedes-Benz stadium at the moment the final notes of the Star-Spangled Banner are sung. They will takeoff for the Super Bowl LIII flyover from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta, Georgia.

The Thunderbirds last flew over the Super Bowl in 2017 at the NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas.

The Thunderbirds’ team is composed of eight pilots, four support officers, 120 enlisted Airmen and three civilians serving in 28 Air Force job specialties. In 2019, the Thunderbirds are scheduled to perform at 65 air shows in 33 different locations all over the world.

Since the unit's inception in 1953, more than 300 million people in all 50 states and 60 countries have witnessed the distinctive red, white and blue jets in thousands of official aerial demonstrations.

For more information on the Thunderbirds, please check out afthunderbirds.com or follow @afthunderbirds on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Thunderbirds demonstration pilots and aircraft will arrive at Dobbins ARB on Friday 1 February at 3:00 p.m. and pilots will be available for planeside interviews at 3:30 p.m. Media desiring an interview with the pilots upon arrival should contact 94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs at (678) 655-5055 or via e-mail at: 94aw.pa@us.af.mil