Flyover scheduled for Saturday

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – F/A 18 Super Hornets from Naval Air Station Oceana (Va.) will perform a flyover at the Arkansas-Alabama football game Saturday following the national anthem. The 11:30 a.m. game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium is being televised by Raycom Sports.

The F/A 18 Super Hornets are a part of the Strike Fighter VFA 32 “Fighting Swordsmen.” The flight will be led by Lieutenant Mycel Scott and Lt. Andrew Wyrick.

The wing jet will be flown by Lieutenant Mark Kennedy and Lt. Tim Walsh.

This is the third year VFA 32 has performed a flyover at an Arkansas Razorback football game.

“We are very excited to have VFA 32 F/A 18s back to Fayetteville this year,” Matt Shanklin, associate athletic director for marketing/licensing, says. “The F/A 18 is an incredible aircraft and we appreciate the time and effort Lt. Andrew Wyrick and his fellow airmen put in to make this flyover possible.”

The F/A-18 Hornet is a modern all-weather carrier-capable strike fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. It has been the aerial demonstration aircraft for the Blue Angels since 1986. Its primary missions are fighter escort, fleet air defense, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance. Its versatility and reliability have proven it to be a valuable carrier asset.

VFA 32 returned in June from a seven-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During their deployment, the Fighting Swordsmen logged over 4,000 combat hours and dropped 21 precision guided bombs.