Member-only story
Why Do Sporting Events Have Military Flyovers?
War machines flying over civilian entertainment seems odd when you think about it
Earlier this year, sports announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were caught on a hot mic seemingly mocking a military flyover of a football game that they were covering.
“That’s a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover,” Troy Aikman says.
“That’s your hard-earned money and your tax dollars at work,” Joe Buck quipped.
They were voicing feelings and raising questions that we have all probably felt at one point or another.
If you have ever attended a professional outdoor sporting event in the United States, you have probably witnessed a military flyover. Most professional sports venues will feature a close approach by various kinds of military aircraft before the start of the event, usually coinciding with the playing of the national anthem.
This practice has become so common that few people actually stop to ask themselves why this happens. Isn’t it odd to have military equipment flyover a sporting event aimed at the public? Is it really a waste of jet fuel as Troy Aikman assumed? Where did this practice come from?
Early roots
The practice of military flyovers began in World War I with the very earliest aircraft. After a mission, the formation would overfly waiting military and civilian personnel so that they could count the planes to see if there were any losses during the mission. It was not uncommon for the bulky and slow planes to be counted by observant onlookers as they departed and returned from their missions.
Aviation was still in its infancy at this time, especially military aviation, and this was an easy way for the pilots to connect to the people on the ground. There was a lot of interest by members of the military and average people in how the planes fared during the war.
Sometimes, processions of planes were even allowed to fly low and drop a commemorative wreath on the spot where a fellow pilot had crashed.
It was from these earliest traditions that the wonder and appeal of military flyovers got their start.
