Spectators in the stands at the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 in Speedway, IN, were treated to more than just fast cars at Sunday’s race. Under cloudy skies that threatened rain at any moment, a synchronized, high-flying formation of military jets and Apache helicopters left onlookers in awe.
“That was incredible. They flew right above our heads,” said Sue Crankfaller of Batesville, IN, in an interview from the grandstands with Military.com. “The engines were so loud I had to cover my ears, but it was amazing to see them fly so close to us.”
The iconic Indianapolis 500 race is considered the largest single-day sporting event in the world, drawing a sold-out crowd of 350,000 fans. The military flyover was executed just before the start of the race, following the singing of the national anthem by recording artist and 2007 American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
“Everything is scripted down to the second, and we are coordinating with a variety of different partners,” said Chief Warrant Officer Josh Wesner, with the Indiana National Guard’s state aviation office, in a statement released to Military.com. “So that presents its own challenges. But because Indianapolis Motor Speedway controls the script well, it is usually a lot easier than it seems.”
Flyover Arrival Timed in Seconds
According to the Indiana National Guard, in a combat or training environment, a flyover would typically have to time its arrival at a target window of one minute. But at the Indy 500, the flight crew only has about a 3-second window. That allows them to fit neatly into the broadcast schedule, and for the race to go on as scheduled.
The team on the ground coordinates directly between the pilots and the broadcast booth to ensure a precise arrival time from their original takeoff location. The pilots fly faster or slower to time their arrival, depending on the speed of the national anthem singer…