185th kicks off ISU football game with flyover

  • Published
  • By Maj. Jeremy J. McClure
  • 185th Air Refueling Wing
Ames, Iowa --  

A KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, Iowa conducted a flyover of Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa before the start of the Iowa State University verses Oklahoma State University Football game on Oct. 26.

“The primary benefit of the 185th doing flyovers is to provide a face for everyone to see,” said 1st Lt. Tyler Kludt, one of the pilots of the KC-135 that did the flyover. “Not a lot of people know what we do here so this a small way for us to show that we are trying to do good things and provide stuff for the local communities.”

Flyovers are part of the Community Relations mission of the unit and provide a visible presence at events as a way to thank the public for their support.

“It also provides good training for our pilots and air crew because our job and primary mission is to be on time and on air speed and there is no better way of showing we can do that then in front of thousands of people,” added Kludt.

After the flyover, the air crew landed at a nearby airport and had an opportunity to watch the game at Jack Trice Stadium. At the end of the third quarter, they were brought onto to the field and introduced to the sold out crowd. 

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