A long-standing tradition in Pasadena’s Rose Parade will pause in 2023 while safety concerns ground the nation’s B-2 bomber fleet.
The prestigious B-2 Stealth Bomber, which annually signifies the start of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day, will not participate in the upcoming Rose Parade or Rose Bowl Game flyovers scheduled for Jan. 2.
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Instead, Missouri-based Whiteman Air Force Base officials announced Friday, Dec. 16, B-1B Lancer Bombers from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota will flyover to mark the moment.
The change stems from “a safety pause,” officials said, that will allow base personnel to inspect the fleet after a Dec. 10 incident in which a B-2 Spirit was damaged on the runway at Whiteman AFB after successfully completing an emergency landing.
“We deeply regret having to make this decision so close to the event,” U.S. Air Force Col. Daniel Diehl said in a news release, noting the top concern of military leaders is the safety and security of their personnel and fleet.
“Although we are not participating in this flyover, we remain steadfast in our commitment to answer our nation’s call,” Diehl added. The Air Force also remains committed to returning the B-2 to Pasadena in 2024.
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In the Dec. 10 incident, a bomber experienced an in-flight malfunction, forcing it to make the emergency landing at Whiteman Air Force Base, where it caught fire. The fire was extinguished and there were no injuries.
The standdown is significant in that there are fewer than 20 stealth bombers in the entire fleet and the aircraft provides, along with the B-52 Stratofortress, the air leg of the nation’s nuclear triad. The B-2 has been regularly deployed to the Indo-Pacific and more recently to Europe as a show of force. During the standdown the entire fleet will be inspected, 509th Bomb Wing spokeswoman Air Force Master Sgt. Beth Del Vecchio said.
When parade spectators on Jan. 2 look to the sky this year, however, the B-1B Lancer, what officials say is a critical flying machine in the Air Force’s strategic bomber fleet, will be the plane representing the nation and carrying on the bomber tradition at the Tournament of Roses.
Pasadena Tournament of Roses leaders said they are honored to know the U.S. Air Force will once again soar over the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl, continuing an iconic tradition.
“We are looking forward to kicking off 2023 with the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB-B-1B Lancer Bomber,” said spokesperson Candy Carlson, “and turning the corner into a new year.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
