November 14, 2008

4 Air Force jet fighters to fly over Purdue vs. Indiana football game

The flyover, which will include two F-16C Falcons and two F-15E Strike Eagles, will take place at the end of the national anthem before the noon game. Five of the six people serving as the aircrew are Purdue ROTC graduates, said Col. Michael Silver, commander of the Purdue Air Force ROTC.

The two F-16C planes, which each have one seat, are from the 163rd "Blacksnakes" Fighter Squadron from the Indiana Air National Guard in Fort Wayne. Maj. Rob Myer, a 1992 Purdue graduate, and Capt. Rod Metzler, a 1997 Purdue graduate, will pilot the F-16C's.

The two-seated F-15E's are from the 335th "Chief" Fighter Squadron from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. Aircrew members include Purdue alumni Lt. Col. Thomas Colby, class of 1988, Capt. Vanessa Mahan, class of 2002, and Capt. Nathan Malafa, class of 2004, and Capt. Tim Dowling, a 2003 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Following the flyover, the pilots of the F-15E's will land at Grissom Air Reserve Base, then drive to Purdue for the second half of the game. The two F-16 pilots will land in Fort Wayne, then fly a civilian plane to Purdue for the final half.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Source: Col. Michael Silver, (765) 494-2042, masilver@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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