The Royalton Recorder had the extraordinary chance to connect with North Royalton High School graduate, Captain Sarah Kociuba, who led the Super Bowl Flyover following the national anthem. Kociuba flew the B-2 stealth bomber and is just one of ten woman pilots of the aircraft in the nation, according to Cleveland.com. Kociuba, the first female pilot to lead a Super Bowl Flyover, is a graduate of the University of Dayton.
In her email with the Royalton Recorder, Kociuba noted how proud she is to represent North Royalton, adding that her parents have always been and continue to be supporters and advocates for the community.
“I hope for a Browns Super Bowl next year,” Kociuba wrote, adding how she frequently returns to North Royalton for the holidays and always makes sure to go for a run in the Cleveland Metroparks when she is in town.
Here is our interview.
Q: What drew you to a career with the U.S. Air Force? How did you get the calling and why did this career path appeal to you?
A: “I grew up in a family with a diverse military background and always loved aviation. My parents took us to the Cleveland Air Show every year and I fell in love with the idea of flying…seeing the speed, hearing the roar of the jet engines, and feeling the force and power of the aircraft as they buzzed by had me hooked. So when I was studying at the University of Dayton and I was introduced to Air Force ROTC, it was like a light bulb went off and there was this clear path ahead of me and I knew I had to go for it.”
Q: How did you come to specialize in the B-2 Stealth Bomber?
A: “I applied to the B-2 bomber after several years of flying the KC-10 at McGuire AFB, NJ. My time as a KC-10 pilot provided me the necessary experience I needed as a pilot to apply to the B-2 program. I always had the desire to fly the B-2…when I was a kid, I got to see the B-2 do a flyover at the Rose Bowl Parade. My sister went with the NRHS marching band to march in the parade, so my parents took my brother and me to watch. Seeing the B-2 kick off the parade with the flyover stuck with me.”
Q: How do you get nominated for special events like the Super Bowl? When and how did you find out that you would be participating in the flyover?
A: “I was selected from a very experienced group of Instructor Pilots within the B-2 to lead the formation flyover. I found out a few months prior and we prepared for weeks. There is coordination between all of the bombers, which flew from three separate bases, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), with the NFL, TV networks and our ground controllers. It was a dynamic planning process that involved coordination between those agencies, mission planning, studying and formation briefs. Once we were in execution, the day of the flyover, not only did I have to ensure our timing was precise, which was constant communication with my ground controller, but I had to manage the formation – make sure we were on speed, on altitude, in position and lastly, on time. During this time, we were just under 2,000 feet MSL (Mean Sea Level) and cruising at around 300 mph.”
Q: Please tell our readers more about your preparation, expertise and the incredible skill the Flyover required.
A: “I felt incredibly proud to be a part of the Super Bowl. Not only to be the formation lead, but to be able to represent the entire team. It takes an experienced team of support agencies and maintenance personnel to get us airborne and they bring their A game every day…so to be able to represent that hardworking team gave me a great sense of pride. In the moment of the actual flyover, right as we pushed up our throttles for the last notes of the song, I really felt proud to be American and it felt like we were saying that ‘This is for you, America.’”
Q: This is an extraordinary time for women and young girls everywhere. Can you speak to the importance and the inclusion of female pilots? And the importance of simply seeing more of that not only in your career field but in many others? For example, we’re seeing more and more female athletic coaches now and referees.
A: “In the day-to-day no one notices or focuses on the fact that I am a woman. What I think is important to note is simply that we live in this amazing nation in which we are afforded the opportunity to chase our dreams. So girl or boy, if you have a passion for aviation or want to fly, then go explore that and chase those dreams. Being an Air Force pilot isn’t always the most obvious or easy path to fly, so the more information that gets out there (on how little girls and boys can explore that) the better!”
Q: Please tell our readers more about your ties to North Royalton.
A: “I graduated NRHS in 2009. I ran varsity track and cross country while also doing band. During my time in track/cross country, I was able to really learn the importance of endurance, training and focus from Coach Bazzo and my Dad, who was a track and cross country coach at both the middle school and high school. Mr. Lydecker taught me the importance of balance. I definitely have used those tools (in my profession) they taught me early on.”
By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer

Air Force Global Strike Command bombers perform the Super Bowl LV flyover at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Jan. 7, 2021. The trifecta was the first of its kind as it included a B-1B Lancer from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., a B-2 Spirit from Whiteman AFB, Mo., and a B-52H Stratofortress from Minot AFB, N.D. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jacob B. Wrightsman)