Santa Clara, CA — During the 2026 Super Bowl national anthem performance, members of four U.S. Navy tactical squadrons will conduct a unified flyover with members of the Air Force. According to Navy spokesperson Ashley Craig, an Oakdale native, Lt. Dalton Stewart is flying in an eight-aircraft flyover formation above Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The formation will include F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning IIs from Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, F-15C Eagles from Fresno Air National Guard Base and B-1B Lancers from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. Stewart will represent the Navy as a pilot assigned to VFA-2 in the F/A-18 with the “Bounty Hunters” Strike Fighter Squadron. He will fly with the “Stingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 113, and the “Golden Dragons” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 192. The “Warhawks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 97 will represent the Navy in the F-35C. The F/A-18 Super Hornet is one of the most advanced aircraft in the world, according to Navy officials. The aircraft take off from and land aboard Navy aircraft carriers at sea and are capable of conducting air-to-air combat as well as striking targets on land.
Stewart is quoted as saying he is a huge football fan and getting to fly over the biggest football game of the year is “a really cool experience to have.”
Stewart attended high school at Oakdale High School and graduated in 2015. He earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice from San Diego State University in 2018 and joined the Navy the following year. Stewart is quoted as saying “I began flying while in college, and the Navy provided an opportunity to serve while being able to fly.”
Craig states, “Stewart serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.”
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. Craig states, “Naval aviation provides the Navy and our nation with a flexible, adaptable and lethal force to preserve peace, respond in crises and win decisively in combat. The U.S. Navy maintains and operates more than 2,000 aircraft to fulfill various mission sets in order to preserve the American way of life and ensure freedom, security and prosperity.”
