DEAR AUNT MARY:
I regularly attend Virginia Tech football games in Blacksburg. At nearly every home game, they have military aircraft fly over the stadium just after the national anthem is sung.
I have often wondered how much these flyovers cost the American taxpayers. Do you know? I think these flyovers are a waste of money that should be stopped.
CURIOUS
DEAR CURIOUS:
I don’t attend football games, but I understand that military flyovers at sporting events have become commonplace.
These flyovers provide feel-good moments for the fans in attendance, since we are at war. The military sees them as a good recruitment tool, while providing the American public with an opportunity to see their aircraft in action.
I cannot tell you what it costs to bring these aircraft to Blacksburg. It is my understanding that they come from various base locations as Virginia Tech commonly requests that a graduate of the university be part of the flight crew.
I do remember reading a report a couple of years ago about eight F-16s traveling from Nevada to Daytona Beach, Fla., to fly over the Daytona 500. That particular flyover cost the taxpayers about $80,000.
The military says, however, that flyovers don’t cost taxpayers additional money because each flyover counts as pre-budgeted flight training.
AUNT MARY
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