- Matthew Tkachuk flew with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in an F-16 on Friday
- The Panthers star hit 9.5 G’s and took the controls for “flip after flip”
- Read below for video of the flight and what Tkachuk said about the wild experience
Matthew Tkachuk got to play fighter pilot for an afternoon.
The Panthers star strapped into the back seat of an F-16 Fighting Falcon on Friday with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, flying as a civilian passenger above Fort Lauderdale ahead of this weekend’s air show. He hit 9.5 G’s, took the controls himself, and walked away calling it one of the greatest experiences of his life.
Florida hyped him up before takeoff:
Tkachuk went up with Lt. Col. Tyler “Wrath” Keener, Thunderbird 7, on a practice run before the squad’s public performances Saturday and Sunday at Fort Lauderdale Beach. The flight was part of the Air Force’s “Hometown Heroes” program.
He talked about what happened when Keener handed over the stick:
“It’s very nice of them to share this with me. It was an amazing day leading into it. It’s crazy how much stuff goes into to flying for just over an hour. The only time I felt a little iffy up there was when (the pilot) let me fly it. I was just doing flip after flip. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.”
Check out Matthew in motion:
Hours of prep came first. Tkachuk had to be fitted for a flight suit, learn specialized breathing techniques to handle the extreme G-force, and squeeze into the cockpit.
Once they were up, Keener didn’t take it easy on him. They flew upside down, spun through maneuvers, and Keener even buzzed Tkachuk’s house, likely waking up his newborn daughter Camille from her nap.
After they landed, Tkachuk handed the pilots a custom Panthers jersey and let the whole crew take pictures with his 2026 Olympic gold medal.
The two-time Stanley Cup champ saw a lot of his own world in the Thunderbirds.
Tkachuk was asked about the parallels between hockey and what the squadron does:
“We were talking about a lot of similarities between hockey and what they do. It’s a family atmosphere. They’re so close and they need each other. They rely on each other. You have to do your exact part in order for it to work. They’re an inspiration. I love how they’re a big team.”
The day before Friday’s flight, the Thunderbirds toured the Panthers’ practice facility and met the players at Baptist Health IcePlex.
Hard to top a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold, and an EA Sports NHL 26 cover, but Tkachuk just added “took the controls of an F-16” to his year.
