Air Force B-1 Bombers, F-15 Fighters Tapped for Super Bowl Flyover

U.S. Air Force B-1 Lancer bombers and F-15C Strike Eagle fighters will join Navy combat aircraft in a flyover of Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 to help commemorate America’s 250 birthday celebration.

The two B-1s will fly out of Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., along with two F-15s out of Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif., for the flyover at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The Air Force aircraft will team up with two Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets and two F-35C Lightning II fighters from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif., according to an Air Force announcement.

The B-1 is capable flying more than 900 miles per hour—while that’s just under half the speed of the F-15’s 1,875-MPH capability—and its distinctive, swept-wing design makes the long-range bomber an unmistakable sight.

This marks a return to the big game for the Air Force—Marine Corps F-35Bs and MV-22s conducted the flyover in 2025 to celebrate the Corps’ 250th birthday. F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Air Force’s Thunderbirds demonstration team flew over Super Bowl LVIII in 2024, and a heritage formation of a P-51 Mustang, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, and F-35A Lightning II flew over Super Bowl LVI in 2022.

Meanwhile, North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Continental U.S. NORAD Region will conduct a live-fly air defense exercise Jan. 29 to practice enforcing the Federal Aviation Administration’s temporary flight restricted-area for the Super Bowl and respond to potential airspace violations, according to a NORAD announcement.

The exercise, dubbed FELIX HAWK, will include Air Force F-15 fighters and C-17 Globemaster aircraft and is scheduled to occur from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time in the greater Santa Clara area. Some aircraft, scheduled to fly at approximately 6,000 feet, may be visible from the ground, according to the announcement.

NORAD is supporting the Super Bowl’s security operations alongside other agencies including the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations. FELIX HAWK is part of Operation NOBLE EAGLE, NORAD’s ongoing mission to protect North America’s skies.

Airmen and Sailors participating in the Super Bowl LX’s flyover will participate in community outreach events leading up to gameday, including public displays of aircraft, search and rescue demonstrations, and backseat flights on the F/A-18F with community leaders, the Air Force announcement states.

A Military District of Washington Joint Armed Forces color guard will render military honors during the National Anthem. This prestigious inter-service team is made up of service members from the Air Force, Space Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard.

In 2021, the Super Bowl flyover featured Air Force B-1s and B-52 Stratofortresses that practiced new “integrated tactics” to give combatant commanders the option and flexibility to employ the B-1 and B-52 as a long-range weapon force package. They flew interoperability sorties at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., several days before the big game, swapping aircrew and developing handoff techniques for employing standoff weapons.