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…
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8_QsRiaXAA&feature=player_embedded[/youtube] 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…
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…
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. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8_QsRiaXAA&NR=1[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBM8kGao_ao[/youtube] 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…
