Special flyover set for FSU-Miami Labor Day game

[TexansSeminole]

http://www.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=982326

In honor of FSU graduate and Navy pilot Scott Speicher, who was shot down over Iraq in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, members of Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 81 will perform a "missing man" formation during the Labor Day pregame ceremony.

According to Morris, four F/A-18 Hornets will approach Doak Campbell Stadium just as the Marching Chiefs conclude their pregame show with the playing of the national anthem. Then just as the jets fly over the crowd, one of them will leave the formation and soar up toward the sky.

Seeing such a display at a football game is even more rare. Morris said the university had to seek special approval from the Pentagon before even contacting Speicher's fighter squadron to see if they would perform the mission.

"It's reserved for funerals and events of that nature -- not football stadium flyovers," Morris said. "But I think the special relationship between the family and Scott Speicher and the university I think is what allowed the Department of the Navy to approve this."

FSU originally was scheduled to have a different flyover for the Miami game. But when Speicher's remains were found in Iraq earlier this summer, university officials began the process of requesting the special event.

 

[mr. peebs]

Great honor for FSU, sad to hear about the pilot though, never like hearing things like that.

I always wished that this formation was performed at the Texas A&M - Texas game in 1999, after the Bonfire collapse. I was at that game when I was only 11 and I still get chills thinking of how emotional and incredible that game was.. the pregame was so solemn, the national anthem, the UT band playing taps, the game itself, just incredible. Having that flyover formation and the meaning behind it would have made the stadium erupt.

EDIT-- here is a photoshopped version of what it would look like.. well except all flyovers go south to north (this one is north to south) and there would be a lot more people in stands and ground level seating, and I believe that astro-turf practice field was real grass in '99, though I'm not completely sure.

 

[mr. peebs]

Sorry to bring back a dead thread, but the Missing Man formation was performed at the A&M - Utah State game a couple weekends back. I'm not sure who it was dedicated to or for as we were still tailgating on the north side of campus when it happened, but it was a beautiful albeit bittersweet thing to see. I screamed at my girlfriend to take a picture and she got just this one with only the 3 remaining in frame, the 4th one is just out of the frame to the top.