As the sun set and the Super Bowl was about to begin Sunday, Air National Guard Capt. Dane Ruhnau was high above Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The F-15C pilot and Park City High School alum participated in a flyover that included B-1B Lancers, F-15C Eagles, F/A-18E Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning IIs from several Air Force and Navy bases. “My wife and I and his entire family were super excited for the flyover and felt very proud to see him representing the United States military at the Super Bowl,” said his father, Darren S. Ruhnau, once a fighter pilot himself. “He did a great job!” The Park City native who graduated class of 2012 joined the Air National Guard 12 years ago. As the son and grandson of retired Air Force fighter pilots, Dane Ruhnau said he had always yearned to serve. “The Air Force perfectly combines my desire for service with my passion for aviation,” he said. Air National Guard Capt. Dane Ruhnau, a Park City native, made it to the game after participating in the flyover during the opening ceremonies Sunday for the Super Bowl. Credit: Photo courtesy of Dane Ruhnau Ruhnau has participated in other coordinated air formations and honorary flyovers, including the 2024 Los Angeles Angels’ home game opener. However, with over 70,000 live spectators and millions upon millions watching from home, this year’s Super Bowl was one of the most viewed events of the year. This was also the first time ever that a joint armed service flyover kicked off a Super Bowl game.  With the jets flying over 1,000 feet above the stadium at 300 to 350 miles per hour, precision and expertise were key. As the 144th Fighter Wing’s company grade officer of the year, Ruhnau was among an elite group. Still, “any pilot in my unit could have knocked it out of the park,” he said. “I just drew the long straw.” The event featured the aircraft flying in a coordinated formation timed with the national anthem — the B-1 bomber at the center, flanked by the two F-15s, followed by two F-18s, with the F-35s on the outside.    The post Park City High grad pilots fighter in Super Bowl flyover appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less