ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Before kickoff at this year’s Super Bowl, the singing of the National Anthem will be accompanied by three Navy tactical squadrons conducting a unified flyover of State Farm Arena. Petty Officer 1st Class Caitlin Hillygus, an Albuquerque native, will be maintaining the aircraft for Electronic Attack Squadron 129.
Hillygus grew up in Albuquerque and graduated from Sandia High School in 2007 and graduated from Multnomah University in 2012. She would graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2015.
“I was fortunate to be able to work with the City of Albuquerque Outdoor Recreation, where I learned the importance of being dependable under great mentors,” says Hillygus. “I worked for the University of New Mexico, as a work-study in the Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Department, and there I learned attention to detail under a great team.”
The flyover formation includes two F/A-18F Super Hornets from “Flying Eagles” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122, an F-35C Lightning II from “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron 147, and an EA-18G Growler from “Vikings” Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129. This year’s flyover will be making history, as it will be the first time all of the pilots will be women, marking 50 years of women flying in the Navy.
