KINGSVILLE, TX — Airmen with Training Air Wing 2 at Naval Air Station-Kingsville are getting ready to head to the Orange Bowl, but they won't be in the stands with the rest of the crowd, they'll be up in the sky.
"I called the Orange Bowl the day that Florida State got selected for that bowl game to ask if there was an opportunity. And there was, and it's great for outreach," Flight Surgeon Michael Rizzo said.
Rizzo is a Florida State alumni. Florida State just so happens to be the team that's playing against the University of Georgia at the 2023 Orange Bowl.
"We have members that went to Georgia on our team too so we’re balanced on both sides of our aircrew," Rizzo said.
Rizzo and other crew members will be conducting a flyover at the Orange Bowl. Aviators and Flight Surgeons have been working on flyover training and preparations for about a month — but even with that much preparation, the crowd only gets a glimpse.
"They see two seconds. There’s a lot more leading up to that. As far as the precision and timing and how we get to that two seconds and how we get to the target of the national anthem," Aviator Josh Rystrom said.
Training Squadron 22 Golden Eagles know that their flyover will be seen by millions, but they hope the real impact will be felt by the community.
"The ability to share our love for Naval Aviation, we may be able to inspire some people to go into medicine or flying. We reached out to local ROTC, JROTC, and medical students to try to recruit and inspire some young people," Flight Surgeon Nicholas Ryan said.
"It's pretty exciting! It's a great opportunity to show people who aren't used to seeing the T-45s, what we do, and talk about training the future of Navy Aviation," Aviator Breyer Houston said.
And for some crew members like Rizzo, the opportunity to show their skills in the sky is one they'll never forget.
"It’s going to be surreal having it come full circle; having gone to FSU for undergrad and med school and now in the Navy getting a chance to return in this capacity is a dream come true," Rizzo said.
The pilots from Training Squadron 22 Golden Eagles will be taking flight to Miami on Dec. 28 for the Orange Bowl Flyover on Dec. 30.
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