Waltham Navy pilot will be part of first all-female flyover at Super Bowl
WALTHAM - Despite the Patriots not making it to this year's Super Bowl, New England will still be represented on the national stage.
Lt. Jacqueline Drew is a Navy pilot from Waltham. The 32-year-old is a graduate of the Naval Academy and has been flying jets in the military for the past decade.
"Did I ever think I would be a part of this? No," said Drew on Saturday.
Lt. Drew is part of a historic all-female flyover during Sunday's national anthem at Super Bowl LVII. It's part of a tribute to 50 years of women in naval aviation.
"I think if you told my 10-year-old self that I would be doing this, I would tell you, 'Okay, sure,'" she said. "We have done all the pre-flight planning; we have done a lot of rehearsals for it. We brief very, very thoroughly. Once you get in there, it is business as usual. I am sure it will hit everyone once everyone is wheels on deck after the flyover."
Lt. Drew said the historical significance of the moment was not lost on her. "It's a great opportunity for someone to take a look at their TV and think to themselves, 'That is an opportunity I didn't know existed and now maybe I could see myself in their shoes.'"