Updated: 6:18 PM EST Feb 7, 2021 The New England Patriots aren't playing in the 2021 Super Bowl, but one of their team planes has made the trip to Tampa, Florida.Seventy-six vaccinated health care workers from all six New England states flew from Boston to Tampa aboard one of the Patriots' "AirKraft" planes.The plane took off from Logan International Airport shortly after 9:40 a.m. Sunday and landed in Tampa before 1:30 p.m."The plane ride was awesome," said Nick Duncan, director of emergency management at Tufts Medical Center, after arriving in Tampa. "They kept us fed and warm on the way down here.""We're so excited. Everyone is so pumped to be at the Super Bowl," said Jessica Tellier, a registered nurse at Emerson Hospital. "It's just been an amazing trip so far."Approximately 7,500 health care workers from across the country will be in attendance as honorary guests of the NFL Sunday for the big game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. They'll be honored for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.New England's health care heroes received transportation from Gillette Stadium to Logan Airport with a police escort.They also got a special sendoff ceremony at the airport and were addressed by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, Patriots president Jonathan Kraft and Patriots special team captain Matthew Slater.“Honestly, when you think about some of those great Patriots slogans, ‘Do your job’ and ‘No days off,’ there’s probably no group over the course of this pandemic who has demonstrated that more day after day after day than our health care workers,” Baker said.“To be standing here today, to see these 76 health care workers who represent all the health care workers across New England who not only served us courageously, but have shown the leadership to take the vaccine, we would just encourage everybody: when it’s your turn, take the shot. Get vaccinated,” Jonathan Kraft said.“I know for certain that without you folks, we wouldn’t be standing here,” Slater said to the health care workers. “You guys have thought about others first. You’ve pushed your fear and anxiety to the side and have gone in and continued to serve.“What you people represent is the best of us, and we certainly appreciate that,” Slater added. “That’s something that I know for me, personally, I’ll take with me the rest of my life is to see the selflessness that has been on display from so many of you over the last 12 months. It’s inspiring to me and it reminds me that we are better together when we’re working as one and serving one another.”When the plane landed in Tampa, the health care workers were greeted by Patriots owner Robert Kraft on the tarmac when they de-boarded the plane.Last week, Robert Kraft surprised the health care workers with the news on a Zoom call."I actually thought it was part of a prank," Duncan said Tuesday. "My CEO and COO never call me unless it is bad and my heart kind of stopped.""For me to see Tom Brady and Gronk, even though they're not playing for the Pats, I am stoked," said Jenn Castellano, a registered nurse at Emerson Hospital. New England became the first NFL team to own their own jets, purchasing two Boeing 767s in 2017.In April, when the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a shortage of personal protective equipment, one of the team planes was used to deliver about 1.2 million N95 masks to Boston from China. That same plane is being used for the 2021 Super Bowl trip."I was really proud to call them our team, and then (Kraft) said: 'Hey, we're going to go on a plane that brought those masks over.' It's almost full circle," Tellier said Tuesday."Last April, when our plane returned with masks from China, we never could have imagined the devastation this pandemic would cause, nor could we have dreamed of the heroic stories and achievements that have come to be as a result, especially the dedication of health care workers on the front lines and the creation of safe and effective vaccines," Robert Kraft said in a statement. "Ten months later, it's an honor for us to celebrate these health care workers by giving them a well-deserved break for a day and an opportunity to enjoy the Super Bowl, a reality that is only made possible because of the vaccines. We hope that in doing so, others are also encouraged to get vaccinated as they are able. Once again, we want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of the health care heroes who have risked their well-being to ensure ours. They are truly superheroes to us."In addition to the flight and tickets to the 2021 Super Bowl, the health care heroes received a ticket to the NFL TikTok Tailgate concert headlined by Miley Cyrus exclusively for vaccinated health care workers, a two-night complimentary hotel stay provided by Mark Stebbins and Leo Xarras of XSS Hotels, owner of both the Renaissance Hotel and Hilton Garden Inn at Patriot Place, a Patriots gift bag, a $100 VISA gift card to spend at Raymond James Stadium and ground transportation in Tampa.The Kraft family offered four tickets to each of the New England governors outside of Massachusetts, who then selected health care workers from their respective states for a total of 20 heroes representing Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.The remaining 56 tickets were distributed to many nonprofit hospitals across the state of Massachusetts that continue to care for COVID-19 patients.All health care workers on the trip to Tampa were fully vaccinated no later than Jan. 24 or 14 days before the flight.