You learn something new every day.
In this case, there's a form you can fill out if you want the military to do a flyover at your next event.
I haven't read the full contents of the form, but the short video I watched about it made it sound like, aside from food and lodging for the crews, it won't cost you much as the military branches often view flyovers as both practice and a recruitment tool.
Yes, in my experience the military branches are eager to display what they can do in front of a crowd. That may have changed since I last looked into it. The National Guard, whom I worked with at an event, wanted to do a helicopter aerial show, but unfortunately we had way too many overhead wires to do that. Instead, we got trucks, but trucks worked well.
stop everything....what
In reply to camopaint0707 :
Reason? Datsun's 62nd birthday that is on Labor Day this year.
So what time will the flyover be at the Challenge, then?
I actually can't find a cost on that form for just a flyover
oh, you know darn well I just spent the last 20 minutes filling one of those out 
Colin Wood said:I haven't read the full contents of the form, but the short video I watched about it made it sound like, aside from food and lodging for the crews, it won't cost you much as the military branches often view flyovers as both practice and a recruitment tool.
Actually pretty solid practice for them, and the pilots love it.
My brother was a Navy flight officer, backseat of F-18's. He said it was the most intense and demanding flying short of a full-on attack run combat mission. You have to be really well coordinated with exactly the right flight path on a very precise timeline. Especially for something like a halftime flyover of a sporting event.
I just took video of a pair of F 16's doing a flyover about 20 minutes ago. I'm on my lunch break in the parking lot, right across from Daytona international Speedway.
I was right on the inbound side north of the grandstand.
So I'm reading some stories of these costing multiple thousands of dollars.
camopaint0707 said:So I'm reading some stories of these costing multiple thousands of dollars.
Undoubtedly.
My opinion is that one of the reasons our pilots are so good is that they get lots of hours, so I don't think that it is a waste of resources.
For free, maybe we just move the Challenge closer to the Pinecastle Impact Range in Ocala.
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:camopaint0707 said:So I'm reading some stories of these costing multiple thousands of dollars.
Undoubtedly.
My opinion is that one of the reasons our pilots are so good is that they get lots of hours, so I don't think that it is a waste of resources.
Absolutely a waste of resources. Cost way into the 6 figures even the 7 figures depending on the Aircraft and location. And our leadership mantra in the military right now is "in a resource constrained environment we can't...." (insert something that would help a service member or their family) because we're broke. But, we still blow our wad on dumb E36 M3.
In reply to yupididit :
Pilots have to have seat time to stay proficient. They're going to get it somehow. The cost of that fly-over is money that's effectively already spent.
With the fly-over, instead of *just* seat time, the same cost now *also* gets: advertising, recruitment, and a legit "there is something at stake, and you *have* to get this right" mission to build crew experience.
My brother said it was the closest thing to doing a bombing run without actually dropping ordinance.
At the last Homestead nascar race there were three jets that flew over. The third one was having some fun because he was so low and accelerating so hard when he went over it was borderline uncomfortable how much pressure was being put off. That being said it was awesome because you rarely get to experience just how powerful they are.
Only if its A-10s making mock strafing runs. Cause everyone loves Hogs.
In reply to yupididit :
Not to diminish your point (I'm feelin' ya there, for sure)
But fly overs is not one of the wasted budget concerns!
Look at the events where the military likes to do flyovers:
Think about the audiences there. Now think about who the military wants to recruit.
How much does a prime ad spot cost at the Indy 500 or the Superbowl? How much for the stadium anouncers to give a sponsor a 15-second shout out? Cool... the U.S. Navy is going to fly a couple jets overhead and then the Army will drop in the Black Knights. They will get 2-5 minutes of solid coverage interspersed with shots of professional football players literally looking up in awe at how badass these people are. For free.
Ohio State Football game? Grab two F-18's and fly them overhead. Make sure one of them is piloted by an OSU grad and have the announcer give a shoutout and point that out to the entire stadium. (This is not a hypothetical. I know this guy.) How many people who are prime OFFICER candidates did you just reach? How effective is that marketing? Not only that, but chances are strong that the person who just decided they want to join the military is sitting next to their significant other, and you just reached *them* about why they're partner will want to join.
And how much does that pilot appreciate the honor of getting to do a flyover for his Alma Mater? How much more likely is he to reup his comission?
In reply to Beer Baron :
They get their seat time and fly overs aren't a pertinent part of adding to that seat time. At all. Of course a pilot will speak them up, he's a pilot lol. In a fighter jet at that. They're told that they're the most important thing in the military. Not to downplay your brother's opinion. But, every functional area will say the things they do are important when in reality they're a waste of money. Where I am, we're at the tip of the spear, I wish I could tell all the waste.
I'm willing to bet fly overs do not significantly increase recruiting if at all.
Saying the money is already spent is a copout. The entire DoD budget is already spent. Yet, we are operating under a "resource constraint environment".
David S. Wallens said:For free, maybe we just move the Challenge closer to the Pinecastle Impact Range in Ocala.
That will be an interesting new Challenge event!
In reply to wae :
The Challenge should have a homemade ultralight flyover. What could possibly go wrong...
In reply to Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
Are there any cliffs or high buildings near Gainesville? Partner with Red Bull for the flugtag
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