Those flyovers that have become common in sports will soon disappear.
With $85 billion in federal budget cuts set to take effect Friday if no solution is found in Congress (the cuts would total $1.2 trillion over 10 years), such flyovers will be grounded, and there could be cuts to service academy athletics departments.
The suspension of flyovers would include all sports “at least through the end of the fiscal year. NASCAR will likely be the first sport to notice the lack of flyovers.
Luke Air Force was not allowed to provide a flyover for the March 3 Sprint Cup race at Phoenix. Instead, a private company has provided the track a B-17 that is not a part of Air Force inventory.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway has an agreement with the Thunderbirds based nearby at Nellis Air Force Base for its March 10 Cup event. The suspension of flyovers for the Thunderbirds will not take place until April.
Flyovers have been seen prior to NASCAR races since the mid-1950s.
