The 2023 Indy 500 will feature two flyovers from F-16 Vipers. Here's when you can see them

Morgan Womack, Indianapolis Star
Updated ·2 min read
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It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Viper!

New Mexico's Holloman Air Force Base will be sending four F-16 Vipers to this year's Indianapolis 500. There will be two flyovers over the weekend.

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When and where can I see the planes?

If you live in Indianapolis, you're familiar with the tradition (and maybe the noise) of jets flying overhead the day of the 500.

This year, the F-16 Vipers will perform a flyover at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon, and before the race on Sunday.

Holloman Air Force Base media relations chief Denise Ottaviano said exact times for the flyovers are not confirmed, and won't be finalized until the day of the event.

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About the jets

Forty-nine F-16 Vipers and MQ-9 Reapers assigned to the 49th Wing line up on the runway during an elephant walk at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, April 21, 2023. The 49th Wing is the Air Force’s largest F-16 and MQ-9 formal training unit, building combat aircrew pilots and sensor operators ready for any future conflicts.
Forty-nine F-16 Vipers and MQ-9 Reapers assigned to the 49th Wing line up on the runway during an elephant walk at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, April 21, 2023. The 49th Wing is the Air Force’s largest F-16 and MQ-9 formal training unit, building combat aircrew pilots and sensor operators ready for any future conflicts.

The "Viper" is a variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a multi-role compact fighter aircraft.

Here are some facts about the jets, from Airforce Technology and the U.S. Air Force's website:

  • Their max speed is around a whopping 1,500 mph, or Mach 2 (Mach represents the object speed divided by the speed of sound, so that's two times faster than the speed of sound).

  • Known for their maneuverability, F-16 jets have a bubble-shaped canopy over the cockpit to give the pilot unobstructed vision.

  • The Vipers are fitted with precise GPS navigation and automated ground collision avoidance systems to save pilots from potential crashes.

About the Air Force base

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class David Ulerio, 49th Component Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion journeyman, conducts routine maintenance on a Pratt and Whitney F100 engine at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, May 3, 2023. The 49th CMS provides maintenance to all F-16 Vipers on base and ensures that each aircraft is operational for combat effectiveness.

Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico is home to the 49th Wing — a fighter group that deploys combat-ready forces worldwide, and the 54th Fighter Group — which provides training to about 180 students a year. Here are some facts from the base's website.

Aside from training its F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots, the base also trains pilots and sensor operators for unmanned aircraft, specifically the MQ-9 Reaper. Other aircraft flown there include the T-38 Talon and QF-16 Drone.

Its test track is the world's largest and fastest at almost 10 miles long and approaching 10,000 feet per second. (That's about 6,900 mph, or Mach 9. Sheesh.)

Here are a few of the operations the base has participated in:

  • Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm

  • Operation Allied Force

  • Operation Southern Watch

  • Operation Northern Watch

  • Operation Enduring Freedom

  • Operation Iraqi Freedom

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 flyover will bring F-16 Vipers above the Speedway this year