A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber flew over the 136th Rose Parade on January 1st, 2025, marking a tradition in Pasadena skies on New Year's Day. Col. Keith J. Butler, commander of the 509th Bomb Wing, shared his experience, recalling his childhood dream of watching the parade and eventually piloting the B-2 in the event.
A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber soars over the 136th Rose Parade on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 The B-2 Stealth Bomber just flew over the 2025 Rose Parade , with a thundering sound that sparked awe among the thousands gathered below to watch the 136th Tournament of Roses, on Jan.
1. It’s become a tradition in the skies over the Pasadena on New Year’s morning — one that U.S. Air Force Col. Keith J. Butler knows quite well.. As a child, Butler spent countless New Year’s Eves camped out on Colorado Boulevard with his family, bundled up against the cold to watch the colorful floats glide past at dawn. Yet, he never imagined he would one day play a central role in the event. On New Year’s Day 2018, as a seasoned pilot of the“That was admittedly a bucket list item for me,” Butler said in a recent interview. “To see it as a kid, to grow up, fly the B-2, and then actually fly the B-2 in 2018 was kind of a dream come true for me.”, home of the world’s only B-2 Spirit stealth bomber unit, Butler oversees the very operations that make such missions possible. Col. Keith J. Butler , commander of the 509th Bomb Wing, shakes hands with Royal Air Force Air Marshal Johnny Stringer , the Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Air Command, during Stringer’s visit earlier this year to Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County, Missouri. Before the flyover even begins, extensive planning and coordination take place to ensure every detail is accounted for. From briefings to maintenance checks, the entire team works to prepare the aircraft and flight plans, Butler said. While only one aircraft is visible to the crowds, Butler said two B-2 bombers are deployed for the mission – one as the primary flyer and the other as a backup, or “airborne spare,” in case of issues during the journey.“So one will typically be the primary flyer for the Rose Bowl, and then the other one will be the primary flyer for the Rose Parade. But both aircraft can execute both of the flyovers,” Butler said. “We just do that for a little bit of insurance.” The B-2 Stealth bomber – based out of Whiteman AFB in Missouri — will soar over Pasadena once again on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Once the aircrafts are ready and all plans are in place, pilots must take off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and navigate a journey of more than 1,600 miles to Pasadena, timing their arrival to the exact second. This is because the B-2 Spirit has to appear above the start of Colorado Boulevard within one to two seconds of 8 a.m. to kick off the Rose Parade and align perfectly with the start of the live stream on national television, Butler explained. “ So on Jan. 1, there’ll be dozens of people that are involved with it, but the totality is behind the scenes, there’s actually thousands,” he said. “The engines, the landing gear, hydraulic systems, electrical, battery, all the things that it takes to pull that off.”The two pilots usually wake up at 2 o’clock Central Time on Jan. 1 – midnight on the West Coast – to begin the three to three-and-a-half-hour journey from Whiteman Air Force Base to Southern California, Butler said. “ Typically we go over the mountains, north of the mountains, up in the high desert, kind of in that Palmdale, Antelope Valley area,” Butler said. “And we wait up there and we’ll get there early in case there’s any coordination or deconfliction that has to happen.” Once the timing is right, pilots work closely with Los Angeles air traffic control to guide the aircrafts over the mountains down around the Burbank and Glendale areas. From there, the pilots begin their final approach to Pasadena for the parade, he said.Photographer Mark Holtzman captured the B-2 Stealth Bomber flyover during the 2018 Rose Parade. After the parade flyover is completed, the mission isn’t over. Pilots continue across the San Gabriel Valley, typically toward Ontario in Southern California’s Inland Empire, before heading back over the mountains. From there, they fly north to conduct additional training in Northern California.Once their training is completed and the aircraft is refueled, the pilots return to Southern California to prepare for their second flyover—this time over the Rose Bowl stadium itself. B2 bomber flyover prior to the 108th Rose Bowl game between the Utah Utes and the Ohio State Buckeyes in Pasadena on Saturday, January 1, 2022. After completing the Rose Bowl flyover, the pilots begin their journey back to Whiteman Air Force Base, arriving home around 9 or 10 o’clock at night, Butler said. “It makes for a very long day,” he added. This year, Butler won’t be in the cockpit himself but will attend the parade in person—a change he described as “bittersweet.” “ When you’re in the air, you get to see a wonderful vantage point and you know what’s happening on the ground,” he said. “But to be on the ground and part of the excitement and the crowds and being able to interact, help tell the Air Force’s story, and what it means to have the B-2 at the Tournament of Roses, is also pretty nice.” The B-2 flyover has been a part of the parade since the mid-1990s, when the stealth bomber was still undergoing testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Butler said. Initially meant to showcase the cutting edge technology of America’s bomber, the flyover has grown into a symbol of pride, strength and gratitude for the entire B-2 community, who hopes it inspires appreciation for the aircraft and its operators, while encouraging future innovators and service members.Owner of Van Nuys comic book store dies after he was trapped under SUV at Westfield Topanga mallThe Rose Parade is over, here's what happens to the floats and their millions of flowersRose Parade 2025: Your ultimate guide to watching from home Gabriel Fernandez, 8, was tortured to death. His mother didn’t like her life sentence. This is what a judge had to say. Gabriel Fernandez, 8, was tortured to death. His mother didn’t like her life sentence. This is what a judge had to say. 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