Home F-22 Raptors to fly over Lane Stadium during Saturday’s Virginia Tech football game
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F-22 Raptors to fly over Lane Stadium during Saturday’s Virginia Tech football game

Chris Graham

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets will honor its alumni returning to campus by coordinating a flyover of two F-22 Raptors during the Saturday, Sept. 23, football game against Old Dominion University.

f-22 virginia tech football
Two F-22 Raptors from the Virginia National Guard’s 192nd Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base are scheduled to fly over Lane Stadium at the start of the Old Dominion game. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force and Senior Airman Kimberly Nagle.

Saturday is Military Appreciation Day in Lane Stadium, as well as Corps Reunion.

The U.S. Air Force will send the two aircraft from the Virginia National Guard’s 192nd Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base. They will fly over the stadium while the Highty-Tighties, the Corps of Cadets regimental band, are playing the National Anthem.

The flyover is subject to change based on weather and operational barriers.

Fans are encouraged to share their pictures and videos of the flyover on social media using #AFFlyover.

Other events planned during the game include:

  • Cadets will be collecting donations for the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, at all gates before kickoff. Since 2001, the Corps has collected more than $200,000 for the memorial and is the largest, non-corporate sponsor of the D-Day memorial.
  • About 200 Corps of Cadets alumni will march onto the field during the pre-game ceremonies to honor our flag during the National Anthem.
  • Five airmen who recently returned from a deployment to Syria will be recognized on the field during the game.

The F-22 Raptor is a stealth tactical fighter aircraft with a top speed of nearly 1,500 mph and a range of more than 1,800 miles. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions through a sophisticated sensor suite that allows the pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected.

The Air Force celebrates its 70th birthday today, Sept. 18.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].

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