I am a first officer in DAL. I also fly F-16s for the 457th Fighter Squadron at NAS Ft. Worth JRB. I have been with the unit 11 years. We were recently contacted by the Rangers' public affairs coordinator as the playoffs were nearing to ask if we were interested in performing pre-game flyovers.
Our first flyover was prior to Game 3 of the Tampa Bay series. I was number two of the four-ship formation. For Game 1 of the Yankees series, I was in the stadium working radio relay to the aircraft. This turned out to be a great deal as we were allowed on the field during batting practice and got to meet some of the players.
After the Rangers won the ALCS, we were once again asked to perform the flyover at Game 3 of the World Series. Of course, our squadron was more than happy to oblige.
There is a lot more coordination for these events than meets the eye. Airspace deconfliction is always an issue, especially with the busy airspace around the metroplex. The flyover itself went off quite well. We try to make the timing work out such that we fly over the stadium just after the last note of the anthem finishes. It was especially great that we could go home and re-watch it on our DVRs. The Rangers gave us several tickets to the game, but we gave most of the to our maintainers as they work very hard behind the scenes to keep the jets flying.
Overall it was a great opportunity to support the Rangers and showcase our aircraft. We also appreciate all the support SWA gives to all our military reservists.