Prose: James Woodard
Photography: James Woodard, Ryan Tykosh, As Credited

In mid December, Philadelphia played host to the 120th annual Army Navy football game. As everyone already knows, this isn’t just a normal collegiate football game. The players on the field are more than just the typical athletes you can find on a standard Saturday during college football season. The men on the field are some of what the future holds for the US Army and the US Navy. On this single day, for a few hours, they are not on the same team; they are opponents, and they are arch rivals.

Each player knows what a win would mean for their respective service, particularly when it comes to bragging rights. After three straight years of the bragging rights belonging to the Black Knights of Army, the Navy Midshipmen had other ideas. With a record setting performance from their quarterback, Navy took this year's victory back to the Academy. As torn as this county can be at times, for this one day, for a few hours, you can see and feel one of the few things in this country that everyone can agree on, the respect that the American soldier is due. 

For us Aviation Geeks, a large football game can bring us joy beyond just rooting for a favorite football team. It is hard to beat the thrill of having military aircraft ripping through the skies above the stadium just as the national anthem ends. Even witnessing this on TV can give you thrills. What must it feel like for the pilots to know that they have hundreds of thousands of eyes on them, both from those in attendance and those enjoying the game from home? 

For this years Army Navy game, the Navy sent several Super Hornets from VFA-83 “The Rampagers”, and the Army sent six Apache helicopters from the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade to participate in the scheduled flyovers. We were fortunate to be able to chat with Commander Johnson and Lt. Dixon from VFA-83 a couple days prior to the flyover. 

*edited for content and clarity

Could you please just give us your name, hometown and what Squadron you are from, and how many years you have in?
My name is Commander Luke Johnson, Memphis Tennessee, VFA-83, The Rampagers. I have 17.5 years in.
Lt. Timothy Dixon from Cleveland, Ohio. I have five years in.

Could you tell us what inspired you to join the service, particularly the Navy?
Johnson: For me, my dad was an A-7 pilot back in Vietnam then he flew for FedEx for 28 years. So, I knew from a very young age I wanted to fly in the Navy and I got very lucky to make it all the way here. 
Dixon: My father took me to the airshows every year in Cleveland, Ohio, I got a chance to meet some Navy pilots and tried to figure out a way to get there myself. That inspired me to get to the Naval Academy and I have always been interested in aviation.

Do you always fly the same aircraft each time, does each aircraft develop a personality of its own?
Johnson: The aircraft definitely do I would say, but we don’t fly the same aircraft every time. We have 10 aircraft and 14 pilots, so obviously with that number, the aircraft kind of shuffle around based on which ones are in maintenance and things like that, and how many you have up at any given time. 

What is the selection process for the flyover pilots?
Johnson: As far as the folks here in the squadron here are doing it, we prefer graduates first, which Tim is, class of 2014. I am [in the] class of 2002. I think we also have class of 2006 and 2010 also represented. As far as the squadron getting chosen, we were just lucky. I think our operations officer was the first one to respond to the email when they sent out the invite for it, and so we got it. 

Have you done any flyovers before?
Dixon: I have not done any flyovers. 
Johnson: I have done a handful, I think I did a Memorial Day flyover for a Braves game one time and I have done some missing man flyovers and stuff like that. 

We know what it is like to witness a flyover being in the crowd at a game, so what is it like for you to know that there is a stadium full of people looking up at you thinking how kick ass it is.
Johnson: It is pretty cool having done it, but in all honesty, you don’t really get to look down, particularly if you are one of the ones flying formation. I have never actually been the lead for one, but I will be for this one so this will be my first time to be able to see the stadium.
Dixon: I think it is pretty cool to be able to have this opportunity to just flyover for my alma-mater. It is a unique opportunity to represent the Navy and get to do something that I love and show everybody else what it is like to graduate and become a naval aviator after you graduate the Naval Academy.

What are the planned logistics for the flyover, directions, speed, altitude?
Johnson: We will be at about 1000’ and coming from the south, I believe. We don’t know what the airspeed will be yet, depending on if our timing is right.

Do you plug the burners at all for the flyover?
Johnson: That is not necessary, typically we wouldn’t do that plus if we select afterburner not everybody will light off exactly at the same time so it would mess up the formation pretty good. We usually try to keep a nice steady throttle and it is usually plenty loud. It would get really loud if you came over in burner, especially if you have four airplanes. 

Do you have any special connection to the football game itself?
Dixon: I have no particular connection. 
Johnson: Me neither. If you could see me right now, you could see I was not a football player at the Naval Academy. No special connection, other than being a graduate.

Did you attend the game while at the academy?
Dixon: I went last year, then all four years while at the academy.
Johnson: I only attended the fours years while at the academy.

In a fantasy world, how would you like to perform the flyover?
Johnson: It would be cool to go lower for sure but you would start to stretch the boundaries of safety at that point. All the rules are in place for a reason. To be honest, I don’t know, we live in the world we got and it is still a cool job no matter what, even if we do live within the bounds of those rules. I still think it is an awesome thing to do so, perhaps I wouldn’t change it. I like it the way it is.

What makes you the happiest while you are flying?
Dixon: I would say what defines being a naval aviator; operating on and off an aircraft carrier. I would say one of the coolest things is being able to launch off the front of that and cruising off at 500’ above the brilliant blue water below you and the blue sky, I think that is what makes me the happiest. 
Johnson: I would have to 100% agree. Flying off the boat in the day time is the best, that is why I am still doing this job. It is the best thing you can do, and it is a very unique opportunity for pilots, there just aren’t that many of us that get to do it, and we love it. 

With the game being in December, in Philadelphia, the weather can always become a challenge, as was the case for this years game. Due to the weather conditions, the Navy had to unfortunately call off their flyover. Commander Johnson and some other pilots did make the trip up however. 

We had plans to meet up with the Navy crews Saturday morning at Philadelphia International Airport, where they and the Army stage from for the day's events. Upon arrival to the airport, I headed to where the Army had staged the Apaches and began to admire the beauty of these killing machines. This was my first time seeing an Apache in person, and to say I was excited would have been an understatement. Knowing that my younger brother had dreams of flying these machines made it all the more special. Little did I know what was in store for me in the coming hours. 

After being asked to stay off the fence by a polite Airport Police Officer, I figured I would head back to parking and wait with the hopes of being able to make contact with one of the Naval Aviators I had talked to the previous day. Unfortunately, that did not pan out. All was not lost, as I was able to meet up and talk with CPT Lauren Smart (West Point Class of 2015), the Public Affairs Officer from the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, as well as two other pilots who were scheduled to participate in the flyover. 

When I start my interviews, I like to not only give a brief background on Full Disc Aviation, but also myself. That ultimately leads to why I do what I do; my younger brother Michael who was KIA in Afghanistan. He was an Aviation Geek long before me, and without him I would not have found my passion for Aviation. This interview was no different, I did my introduction and continued the interview as planned...

*edited for content and clarity

Could you please give us your name, where you are from?
My name is 1LT Mike McFadden, from Huntsville, Alabama. Headquarters Company 1-82 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade. 2016 graduate of West Point.

My name is 1LT Lucas Fazzari from Walawala, Washington. West Point Class of 2017. Bravo Troop 1-17 Heavy Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, pretty new to the unit so I was lucky to get selected (for the flyover), I actually think I am the most junior pilot that was selected. Pretty special for me to partake in all of this.

How are the units and pilots selected for the flyover?
McFadden: Each year, West Point submits a tasking via a memo to the Dept. of the Army, then the Dept. of the Army tasks that down to a division. Within each division, you have a combat aviation brigade, which is comprised of different battalions of aircraft. A lift battalion would be Blackhawks. You have a support battalion which is Chinooks and Blackhawks. And the attack battalion is Apaches. So, typically for flyovers, a lot of people want Apaches, because it is pretty badass. Traditionally, I have been to a bunch of Army Navy games, I have played in the game. Every game I have been to I have seen an Apache flyover, so when that aviation brigade gets that tasking down from West Point, it will get funneled to the attack battalion, in this case, there are two of them in the brigade. That battalion then goes through their roster and says who are the West Pointers who are the people that this would have significance to. For this flight, I think out of the 12 pilots, 10 of them are West Point grads, so that kind of tells you the type of people. 

You played in the Army Navy during your time at West Point, what was your position?
McFadden: I was defensive back, so I played both safety and cornerback. 

This is your first time doing the flyover?
McFadden: I remember being in the game during my junior year, I knew I wanted to go into aviation since I got to West Point, watching the flyover as we ran out onto the field I thought that would be pretty sick to get a chance to do that. When I found out I Branched into aviation, obviously I was very excited, and then a couple years later, getting a chance to do this is pretty special. 

What do you think you will be feeling as you fly over knowing all eyes will be on you?
McFadden: Yesterday even just walking out for the preflight, it felt like walking up the tunnel to get ready for the game, just the same type of adrenaline and nervous excitement. It’s definitely just like the way you want to be precise and execute in a football game, everyone has an assignment and it's a team effort. It’s the exact same thing with being in the Army and specifically with a flyover when you have five other aircraft around you and you are 40 feet away from each other. Precision and the teamwork and communication obviously [are] all very important. So, it feels like a team getting ready to go out and play a game, for us in this case, it is just go out and execute the flyover mission. 

So there are going to be six Apaches total?
McFadden: There should be six barring any kind of maintenance or contingency.

All the same model or different models?
McFadden: It will be three delta models and then three echo models which is the new latest and greatest. 

When did you guys learn that you were selected?
McFadden: For me it was a few months ago, I think it was August or September, not sure of the others.
Fazzari: It was about the same for me.

When did you start working on the logistics and briefing the flight?
McFadden: Briefs started mid to late October and we were doing flyover rehearsals at a local high school around Fort Bragg in mid November, did that twice, and flew up here and rehearsed on Friday morning. And the plan was to rehearse again here this morning but the weather obviously changed that. So, hours and hours and hours, from the PAO side, the admin side, it's been upwards of 20-30 people putting in a lot of hours to make this all happen, so it has been a team effort for sure. 

What is your planned altitude and speed?
McFadden: Yesterday when we were dealing with ceilings not being an issue we were about 300’ MSL the stadium stands about 200’ so about 100’ of clearance, and we are holding a 50 knots ground speed, so airspeed depends on what the winds are.

Are you going to be backseat with the sticks?
McFadden: I will be backseat, my front seater is 1LT Ian Betzel; he is another platoon leader, another LT., another West Pointer [Class of 2017]. So it is pretty cool, two junior guys getting a chance to do this. [It's] a pretty big honor, so it means a lot to us to get to do it; being entrusted with that. As my front seater, he is calling out where I am in the formation, telling me how to adjust, where I am alignment wise. I am basically just taking the commands from him and trying to adjust the best I can just to fly it and get us in good position. 

When did you guys come up and how long of a trip is it?
McFadden: We came up Wednesday. It was about two 1.5hr legs and then an hour stop for fuel in Richmond, so about 4hr total trip time.

What is the best part of flying an Apache?
McFadden: Gunnery. Gunnery is awesome. Gunner in the front seat is really cool.

How often do you get to go out and do that?
McFadden: The Army requires that you qualify every six months. So, at least every six months or twice a year, you will do various advanced tables, starting with basic then moving to advanced. Getting to actually fire the guns and rockets is a pretty cool feeling. 

Looking back at this, do you think this will end up being a highlight of your career?
McFadden: Yeah, absolutely, without a doubt. The game has a lot of significance for me, personally. My dad went to West Point, played football at West Point. I grew up going to the games, played in the games. So it means a lot to my family, means a lot to me. Definitely [a] pretty special moment.

So that is how you got into aviation?
McFadden: It is, I kind of have a cool family history. My dad's dad was a crew chief on jets in Korea back in the 50’s. My dad's uncle flew OH6 Little Birds in Vietnam. My dad flew Cobras, Apaches, Kiowa Warriors, was a 20-year aviator and then I got a chance to do it as well, so, it is kind of the family business. 

How about you (looking to Fazzari)?
Fazzari: I don’t really come from a military family. Originally, my older brother was actually the first one to get into the Army and when he joined ROTC everyone was kind of like “what the heck” because we weren’t a military family at all. We’re all just in Walawala, Washington, no one really leaves. So, it was kind of weird when he did it. He also went into aviation, he was actually in this exact unit. He also was killed in Afghanistan. Our hearts also go out to you, we appreciate that you're still supporting him. 

Absolutely, it is kind of what got me into this more. I always kind of liked aviation, worked at a WWII museum in Jersey where we grew up. My brother Michael worked there, that is where he found his love for aviation. I didn’t really have that same appreciation for it until I went to an airshow at Oceana and just being around all the military, I was just like “this is it” I have to be more involved with this. That is what it is about, supporting you guys. 
Fazzari: Having first hand knowledge, I actually think that is one of the best parts of the country, one of the few things that really the entire country can agree on, is that we need to honor the fallen. It was a good first impression for me, I was 17 at the time and I think I got to see the best part of the military. I think people know that the military can kind of suck at times, but knowing that people can be good and seeing the best of people it was a really good first impression of the Army. 

I hear some horror stories from some things Gold Star Families have to go through initially with the military, our experience was complete opposite from that. Our Casualty Assistance Officer was phenomenal, we stayed in touch with him and he actually spoke at my mother's funeral.
Fazzari: Our CAO was a West Pointer and he helped my with my application.

It is good to hear that you can have positives from something so tragic. 
Fazzari: My family continues to receive support. My sister in law and two nephews who are his children, they just got back from a trip to Disney sponsored by the Gary Sinise Foundation. So once again it is the best part of the country right now. It is the one thing that everyone can agree on. 

Sometimes you go into interviews not knowing where things will lead. We went in looking to get some insight into who the pilots are and what they were expecting to feel like as they completed the flyover mission. While we did achieve success there, we also got something more. There are moments in life when two people's journeys intersect each other, and the connection made goes beyond this life. You get the feeling that it is more than just a coincidence. Someone, somewhere is pulling some strings to line everything up, or maybe this time there were two brothers somewhere that had never met working together to make sure our paths crossed. 

We will always remember Army 1st Lt. Mathew G. Fazzari and Sgt. Michael.

*Special thanks to: Army Navy Panorama Project | Glidepath Photography | Chris Adolor