Petty Officer 1st Class Caitlin Hillygus, an Albuquerque native, was part of the unified flyover during the singing of the National Anthem before Feb. 12's Super Bowl.
Three U.S. Navy tactical squadrons conducted the spectacular flyover at State Farm Arena. Hillygus was part of Electronic Attack Squadron 129, a KRQE report said.
Hillygus is a 2007 graduate of Sandia High School and graduated from Multnomah University in 2012. She is also a 2015 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Hillygus said her early experiences in Albuquerque have proven valuable to her career.
“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,” she told KRQE. “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 included two F/A-18F Super Hornets from the “Flying Eagles” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 122, an F-35C Lightning II from the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron 147, and an EA-18G Growler from the “Vikings” Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129.
It was also the first time all of the pilots were women, highlighting 50 years of women flying in the Navy.