EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Wings of the North Air Museum‘s Sierra Sue II P-51 Mustang will lead the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight over U.S. Bank Stadium at Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, 2018.
Sierra Sue will be first in a diamond formation including two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and an F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Sierra Sue will be flown by renowned American pilot Steve Hinton for the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation.
Hinton has flown more than 150 types of aircraft. In 1979 he became the youngest person to set a new 3-kilometer World’s Speed Record for piston-powered aircraft in a highly modified P-51 Mustang.
A founding member of the Motion Picture Pilots Association, Hinton has served as a pilot andor aerial coordinator for more than 60 feature motion pictures and made-for-TV movies, series and commercials, including chief pilot for Pearl Harbor in 2001 and as himself in Iron Man (2008).
Sierra Sue II is one of only a handful of flying Mustangs that actually saw combat in World War II. Assigned in 1945 to the 402nd Fighter Squadron, 370th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force, 1st Lt. Robert Bohna named the plane for a girl in his high school.
Sierra Sue was fully restored in 2014 by AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota to replicate 1944 factory delivery specifications. Authentic details include working World War II era radios and full armor plating.
Wings of the North Air Museum, a non-profit organization based at Flying Cloud Airport, serves learners of all ages by restoring and showcasing flying aircraft to bring history to life, honoring Minnesota’s aviation pathfinders and veterans through exhibits and events, and inspiring youth to meet 21st century challenges by using science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
A fitting plane for a super game, jus too bad the game and the league are not worthy of it.