New twist in Iowa flyover debacle
April 14th, 2011 | Air Force Football | Posted by Phil Creed
The low flyover at an Iowa-Ohio State football game last November effectively ended Maj. Christopher Kopacek’s career in the Air Force. But the pilot didn’t go down without a fight, and his allies in the battle included a U.S. congressman from Des Moines.
Rep. Leonard Boswell, then a member of the House Armed Services Committee, interceded on behalf of Kopacek and defended the dangerously low flyover, according to an Associated Press report. Boswell, a retired Army helicopter pilot, wrote to the investigating officer, saying in part:
“I’ve reviewed the video footage of the flyover and see no aircraft out of formation or distressed because of the altitude. I was also informed there were other issues that the pilot had to make a quick decision to change his altitude level. We believe Major Kopacek made the most safe possible altitude change for a successful flyover.”
Meanwhile, USAF investigators found that the T-38s cleared the scoreboard by 58 feet, and the pressbox by 16 feet. They also found that the jets were flying at an altitude of 176 feet (when the ceiling for such flyovers is 1,000 feet). But hey, there were only 70,000 or so folks in the stadium, what could have gone wrong?
Air Force pilot exiting service after punishment for low flyover
March 23rd, 2011 | Air Force Football | Posted by Phil Creed
A reckless flyover at a University of Iowa football game in November 2010 has essentially cost an Air Force major his career.
The AP reported Wednesday that Maj. Christopher Kopacek has been administrately punished by the Air Force. Kopacek subsequently “submitted a request to give up his wings” and will soon be exiting the service.
The career-ruining (but crowd-pleasing) flyover happened before Iowa’s 20-17 loss to Big 10 rival Ohio State on Nov. 20. Kopacek was the flight leader for the four T-38 Talons from Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma as they passed over the stadium much lower and faster than allowed. The T-38s missed the scoreboard by a mere 16 feet and only cleared the scoreboard by only 58 feet.
The Air Force did not reveal what punishment the three other pilots received.
This is the second time in two seasons that a risky flyover has resulted in punishment for aviators. Two F/A-18 pilots were permanently grounded by the Navy for a low flyover at Georgia Tech football game in Atlanta in 2009.
Super Hornets get nod for Super Bowl flyover
January 28th, 2011 | Navy | Posted by Mike Hoffman
An F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to Carrier Air Wing 7 launches from the deck of the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2007. // U.S. Navy, Mass Communication Specialist Seaman David Danals
If a fighter jet flies over a $1.2 billion stadium, but no one in the stadium can see it; does that fighter jet make a sound?
Well, of course it does, it’s a mother bleeping fighter jet, but many are left wondering why the Navy is flying four F/A-18 Super Hornets over this year’s Super Bowl if stadium officials have already said Cowboys Stadium’s roof will be closed for the game.
Sure, the schmucks — or lucky bastards, however you see it — who paid a minimum of $600 for a seat will get to see the fly over on Jerry World’s big screens, but that’s just not the same, right? Just another reason why it pays to stay home rather than travel out to these games.
The Super Hornets are assigned to Carrier Air Wing 7 and the pilots come from Strike Fighter Squadrons 83, 131, 103 and 143, according to our friends over at Navy Times’ The Scoop Deck.
How not to do a flyover: Part II
December 4th, 2010 | Air Force Football | Posted by Sean Smyth
Flyovers are cool — wicked cool, in fact. But you know, you want to keep your career alive, too.
So two weeks ago, Air Force T-38 Talon pilots do a flyover before the Ohio State-at-Iowa game. Fair enough, happens all the time. And a nice treat for one of the pilots, a Hawkeyes fan who says he’s close to retirement.
But, really, don’t hit the scoreboard.
How not to do a flyover
March 19th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Awesome? Yes.
Worth it? Probably not.
Two F/A-18 pilots have been grounded — permanently — for this flyover at the Georgia Tech-Wake Forest game in Atlanta on Nov. 7. My esteemed Navy Times colleague Mark Faram reports that the two pilots went over the stadium too low, and that the commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic was not amused.
The pilots, who both attended Georgia Tech, are identified by Navy Times sources as Lt. Cmdr. Marc Fryman and Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Condon. Their boss, Rear Adm. R.J. O’Hanlon, reportedly did not buy the explanation that the low flyover was an “honest mistake,” and an investigation report obtained by Navy Times contained a scathing condemnation of the pilots’ actions.
“Fryman failed to provide effective [composite risk management] for his flight lead and allowed an unsafe flyby to occur with nearly tragic consequences,” O’Hanlon wrote of the mission commander. “Despite his spotless record, his complacent, passive response to a major altitude transgression is unforgivable in my view.
“Continued aviation service involving flying is not in the best interest of Lt. Cmdr. Fryman or the United States Navy.”
Oof.
From a completely non-military, non-journalistic view, I hope this incident doesn’t influence any universities or pro teams to decide against having flyovers. I’ve been to a few games where the flyover was easily the highlight of the afternoon (the only time I’ve ever seen a B-2 Spirit was at a North Carolina-Notre Dame football game a few years ago). It’d be a shame if this incident gives the people responsible for these events pause.
Read the full story on NavyTimes.com.