EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The United States Air Force’s Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron will debut their newly upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcons during a fly-over at Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday. The Thunderbirds’ new squadron of 11 F-16s is powered by Pratt & Whitney’s F100-PW-229 engine, providing the world’s premier demonstration squadron with a faster, more agile flying experience while continuing to offer dependable single engine safety. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company.

 

The Thunderbird team begins the 2009 calendar in Tampa, Florida, when Air Force pilots will perform a Pratt & Whitney-powered flyover at Raymond James Stadium prior to the kickoff of Super Bowl XLIII between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. More than 148 million viewers watched last year’s game, which was also seen live by 71,000 spectators, making it the most watched Super Bowl of all time. This year’s championship should provide the Thunderbirds and Pratt & Whitney with one of the largest single-event audiences in history.

 

“Pratt & Whitney is very proud to see America’s best pilots choose to fly aircraft powered by our F100 engine,” said Tom Farmer, President of Pratt & Whitney’s Military Engine Division. “Spectators have been amazed by the Thunderbirds for 55 years, and we’re very proud to be a part of their storied tradition. Whether Air Force pilots are flying the T-6, F-15, F-16, F-22, C-17, or the latest F-35, we want them know that Pratt & Whitney is standing proudly beside them as we have for more than 85 years.”

 

Pratt & Whitney engines also powered the Thunderbirds’ previous version of the F-16C Fighting Falcon making it the longest tenured aircraft/engine combination in the Thunderbirds’ history. Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.

Source: Pratt & Whitney