Florida State football fans have been treated to many memorable military flyovers through the years.
There have been fighter jets and helicopters. There was a B-1 bomber in 2007, and the B-2 Stealth bomber one year later.
But the flyover planned to take place before today's 3:30 p.m. game against Boston College will be one for the books ... and the eyes, the eardrums and the hearts.
As FSU's Marching Chiefs wrap up their pregame show and play the final note of the National Anthem, a massive B-52 Stratofortress bomber will soar -- and roar -- about 1,000 feet above Doak Campbell Stadium as part of Military Appreciation Day.
"This is going to be one of the most memorable flyovers that's ever happened in this stadium," said Chuck Morris, a retired FSU assistant athletics director who still helps the school coordinate such events.
The legendary B-52, which has played an integral role in numerous U.S. military conflicts through the years, has a wingspan of 185 feet. That's about 25 feet wider than a football field.
So, the jet will cover most of the stadium as it flies above.
"It's almost wall to wall," Morris said.
"It'll look like it's a lot lower than it actually is -- just because of the size," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Chris Cousler, who will be the ground liaison for the crew. "It's a lot bigger than a fighter you might normally see on a fly-by."
While smaller fighter jets make frequent appearances at sporting events and air shows, the B-52 does not. There are only 75 in service, and they are based in just two locations -- Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.
The aircraft FSU fans will see today is coming from the 20th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale.
For Morris, who served 27 years in the Army and is a West Point graduate and former instructor, it will be one of the highlights of his career.
He actually had a B-52 scheduled to fly over Doak for the Notre Dame game in 2002, but the mission was scrapped at the last minute for military reasons.
"I've been trying since 2002," Morris said.
Cousler, who also serves as the crew's electronic warfare officer, said those in attendance will not only be impressed by the aircraft's size, but they should be prepared for the "high-pitched shriek" that will come from the jet's engines. He said the engines also will emanate trails of smoke, which is normal.
Morris said it took a series of fortunate events to make this trip a possibility, starting with FSU's appearance in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., last December.
During that trip, a group of about 15 Seminole football players spent several hours visiting with the airmen -- and their families -- at Barksdale Air Force Base. They chatted with them during a Christmas meal, played games with them at the rec center and even broke out a football and played catch with some of the children.
Morris believes the connection the team made with the airmen that day -- and the favorable impression the players left -- played a pivotal role in this special flyover being scheduled.
"We didn't go there with the intention of parlaying it into the (flyover) mission," Morris said. "We went there because it was the right thing to do on Christmas Day."
It also likely helped FSU's cause that the Air Force announced earlier this year it would lift its restrictions on stadium flyovers. There had been a cutback in recent years due to costs, but the funding was made available again to help with recruiting efforts.
"It's not an inexpensive endeavor to perform a mission like this," Morris said.
“Flyovers are a way for the U.S. Air Force to showcase the capabilities of our aircraft while at the same time inspire a future generation,” Air Force spokeswoman Jennifer Bentley told Stars and Stripes in a March article. “We are increasing the number of events eligible for support to assist with recruiting efforts and in telling the Air Force story.”
Despite getting the mission approved months ago, Morris said FSU didn't know for sure that it would take place until early Sunday morning. Because the Air Force prohibits these flyovers from taking place after sunset, the event would have been scrapped if ESPN had made it a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Once the ACC and ESPN announced the game would begin at 3:30, Morris knew the final hurdle had been cleared.
"It was a good feeling," he said. "We feel very honored and privileged to have this mission. And it's not something we take lightly."
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