Northern News Now|3 minute read
Flyover Fiasco: Air National Guard Pulls Out of Packers vs. Vikings Game
Brace yourselves, folks—this Sunday’s Packers vs. Vikings game won’t have the roaring flyover we’ve all come to expect. Why? The Air National Guard decided to slam the brakes on their scheduled aerial display, pulling out the 148th Fighter Wing and leaving the skies a little emptier. Big whoop, right? Well, here’s the deal.
The Hold That Stopped the Show
As of Saturday, the Air National Guard announced a temporary hold on flyovers, meaning the Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing will no longer be flexing their muscles over Lambeau Field. The reason? A little something called 'protocol evaluation.' Apparently, the ANG needs some time to reevaluate how they go about their aerial event procedures. Gotta love bureaucracy, huh?
This isn’t just impacting the Vikings-Packers showdown. If you were hoping to catch a flyover at the Major League Baseball Wild Card Games this weekend, hate to break it to you—those events are now wingless too. While some of these flyovers might be replaced by other non-Ang aircraft, there’s no confirmation yet. What a buzzkill.
A Flyover That Could’ve Been Epic
Originally, this was shaping up to be one hell of a spectacle. The 148th was planning to join forces with Wisconsin’s 115th Fighter Wing to create a true border battle in the sky. F-16s from Duluth’s 148th Fighter Wing were supposed to fly in formation with F-35s from Madison’s 115th Fighter Wing. Vikings fans and Packers fans may hate each other on the ground, but hey, the airmen from both states were ready to put on a show together. Too bad that’s not happening anymore.
Lt. Col. Scott Prom, the 148th’s Operations Group Commander, had even said that this flyover was going to be a 'special moment' for everyone involved. Yeah, no kidding. It would’ve been one of those rare moments where you see rivals setting aside their differences to make some magic in the sky. Now? All we’re getting is a sky as empty as a beer bottle at Lambeau Field after the first quarter. Way to ruin the mood, ANG.
Military Members Left Hanging
Here’s another kicker: Military members attending the game for the Salute to Service were probably looking forward to this flyover too. Nothing says 'thank you for your service' like some jets roaring overhead, right? But, unfortunately, this year, they’ll just have to make do with regular football pageantry. Don’t worry, though—those Salute to Service tickets are still good for the game. At least the ANG didn’t screw that up.
What’s Next?
We’re keeping our ears to the ground on this one. If there’s any update on whether some other flyover squad might step in to fill the void, we’ll be sure to let you know. For now, sit tight, grab a beer, and try not to get too bummed out when that noon kickoff happens sans flyover.
And for those who were looking forward to some military jet action? Guess it’s time to watch some Top Gun reruns and pretend Tom Cruise is buzzing the stadium for you.
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