‘One of the top memories of my career’: Meet the pilots behind the ACC flyover
STATELINE, Nev. – As thousands of fans gathered around the 17th and 18th holes at the American Century Championship on Saturday, their attention briefly shifted from golf to the skies above Lake Tahoe. In celebration of the nation’s 250th, two United States Air Force T-38’s soared above in perfect formation.
Inside the cockpits were Jester and Nova, who asked to be identified only by their pilot call signs; nicknames assigned within their squadron that are used over the radio and displayed on their flight suits. Flying about 1,000 feet above the course at nearly 500 miles per hour, the pair kept just three feet between their wingtips. At that speed and distance, there isn’t much room for error.
“Trust is a big part of everything we do, and in every aspect of flying, whether it’s trust in the maintainers, the engineers, in our life support folks, and, in the cockpit, we absolutely trust each other,” Jester said. “We know we’re going to be safe because we trust each other.”
The two pilots have been flying together for more than 20 years.
“Nova actually taught me to fly back in the day at the Air Force Academy, so I’ve been learning from him for two decades, and I’ll continue learning from him as long as I can,” Jester said.
To fly that close to another aircraft, Nova said it takes “a little bit of math and a lot of athleticism.”
The math comes before takeoff, making sure all of the planning and assumptions are correct. The athleticism comes once they’re in the air.
“Air Force airmanship is a big part of what we do every day, with precision and speed, and this was no different,” Nova said. “It really helps us practice, trying to make it as perfect as we can.”
When asked if he had ever seen the American Century Championship from above before, Jester laughed.
“I’ve never seen it at 500 miles per hour,” he said. “That’s a first.”
For Nova, the flyover was also an opportunity to inspire the next generation.
“I got really interested in aviation while watching a flyover,” Nova said. “Hopefully maybe someone out there saw this and thought, ‘Maybe I could get involved in aviation.'”
Nova later described the experience as one of the top memories of his career.
