Forget football: This year's Super Bowl was an AvGeek's dream
From military flyovers to private jet flights to charters critical to getting players to the game, aviation plays an outsized role at every Super Bowl, just as it did this weekend in Tampa, Florida.
Personally, I was most excited about the chance to see some of the country's most famous military planes — the U.S. Air Force marked the occasion with a very special flyover, with aircraft joining from around the country. This year's participants included:
- B-1 Lancer from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota
- B-2 Spirit from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri
- B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota
On Sunday, Captain Sarah Kociuba, one of just 10 female pilots currently flying the B-2 Spirit, served as the first female pilot to lead a Super Bowl flyover.
While it was surely a sight to behold for attendees, Photographer Mike Killian captured the most incredible photos I've seen of the event — and he didn't even have to spring for a ticket to the game.
Killian is also making the photos available for purchase, with pricing listed on his website. I'm eyeing at least one of his shots for my wall just as soon as I can find some room!
While all three aircraft have the range to support intercontinental missions, the Air Force used Sunday's flyover to practice inflight refueling — which naturally led to even more spectacular photos, and an exciting moment for any AvGeek.
Many attendees also had an opportunity to flex their aviation might — deep-pocketed fans from around the U.S. chartered private jets (or used their own planes) to get to the game.
Aircraft ranged from the relatively giant Boeing 737 that carried Peyton Manning to Tampa (TPA), pictured above, to light jets like the Embraer Phenom 300E I got to experience enroute to Miami's "big game" in 2020.
And it isn't just spectators who got to ride in style. The Kansas City Chiefs hitched a ride onboard a recently retrofitted United 777-200ER, including two Polaris business-class cabins, offering players a total of 50 lie-flat seats.
Coaches and other support staff likely landed a seat in Premium Plus or coach, with the rest of the group making their way down in a United 737, which arrived in Tampa just a few minutes after the team's arguably more-exciting long-haul plane.
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Rewards
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023