LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Pilots from 17 states and Washington D.C. are touching down in Kansas City this week, gearing up for Sunday’s Chiefs vs. Raiders game. Fans on the ground will try to become the loudest crowd ever, but high above Arrowhead Stadium, at least 45 planes will try to break the world record for largest civilian formation flight.
The current record is 37, set back in 2009 at an airshow in OshKosh Wisconsin.
When the planes fly over Arrowhead on Sunday they will release pink smoke for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“When it’s time to roll in on Arrowhead for the 11:59 arrival, we will bring all the diamonds together nice and tight, light the fire and release that pink smoke,” said Phillip Lamb of KC Flight Formation.
Lam added the pilots have really embraced the cause.
“The Guinness Book of World Records is really going to be cool but what brough everybody to town was breast cancer, I think the big goal is to raise awareness and obviously money,” Lamb said.
Oly Olson, a St. Louis resident landed in Kansas City on Thursday. Olson says when he heard what KC Flight Formation was doing, he immediately signed up.
“When I found out they were doing breast cancer awareness, it’s near and dear to my heart because my wife is a breast cancer survivor, so I thought I’m going to be here,” Olson said.
On Saturday, the pilots will practice the formations in the morning and then hold a silent auction raise money for the University of Kansas Cancer Center and its surgery center at Indian Creek.