139th Airmen relish role in Chiefs flyover experience
As he sat inside the cockpit of a C-130 Hercules roughly 1000 feet above Arrowhead Stadium, 139th Airlift Wing Maj. Shawn Lesny couldn't help but marvel at the sight of a red sea of 76,000 fans below.
"I had the front seat view of the entire thing and it was an incredible view," said Lesny, a pilot with 14-years of experience. "We work hard with the FAA to try to get lower, to make it more exciting for the fans."
A lifelong Chiefs fan himself, it was all the more satisfying that Lesny, along with most of the flyover crew that December day, were all Chiefs fans sharing in the same excitement.
Working alongside Lesny was an aircrew that had participated in countless flyovers for big sporting events such as NASCAR, Kansas State football and Sporting KC over the years.
But for many aboard the C-130, the flyover for the Chiefs Week 17 showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 was a first-time experience.
"I've been a season ticket holder for a while, so I always get to see the fireworks from inside the stadium," St. Joseph native and Airlift Wing Capt. Dave Reinert said. "As we were flying in, going into those fireworks. It was actually pretty awesome. And then seeing it from above."
The aircrew were later honored by the team at the stadium, making their way to the iconic drum deck for a group photo to cap the experience.
The 2023 Chiefs flyover was one of just a handful conducted since 2016 by the 139th Airlift Wing, which has to go through a competitive bidding process to get the opportunity that doesn't come around too often.
“It's kind of the luck of the draw, whether you get picked or not. I actually wasn't the original one picked, but the guy that was supposed to do it dropped off,” Reinert said. “That was definitely one of the more fun things that I've done.”
A combat systems operator with more than 1,000 hours of flight time, Reinert was tasked with helping time and coordinate the flyover for the Dec. 31, 2023 game, which ended up being a critical victory for Kansas City.
The win pushed Mahomes and Co. to their eighth consecutive AFC West title, a key stepping stone en route to back-to-back Super Bowls and now a chance at the coveted three-peat.
In honor of the Chiefs Super Bowl showdown this Sunday in New Orleans, guard members throughout the base are showing their fandom with morale badges displaying superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Sgt. Josh Rockhold, one of two flight engineers for the flyover who was inside the stadium coordinating via radio, called Mahomes the Michael Jordan of this era.
With the Chiefs now on the cusp of an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl championship, Rockhold and many others will always look fondly on the small place they had in the team's incredible run.
"This is definitely like a historic era for us as Chiefs fans. So getting a chance to be a part of history and a part of this Chiefs run is definitely a great opportunity for us and we take advantage of it for sure," Rockhold said.
Flight engineer evaluator and systems expert Master Sergeant David Lacore said the flyovers are a highly-coordinated effort.
This year's Super Bowl flyover will be conducted by the USAF's Heritage Flight, the first in Super Bowl history, and will include several classic aircraft models taking to the skies. The arrangement will include an F-16 Fighting Falcon, two A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and a P-51 Mustang.
