In recent years, the flyover has been performed by the B-2 stealth bomber. The change to the B-1B stems from “a safety pause” after a Dec. 10 incident in which a B-2 Spirit was damaged on the runway at Whiteman Air Force Base.
A bomber experienced an in-flight malfunction on Dec. 10, forcing it to make an emergency landing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, where it caught fire.
The Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of B-2 stealth bombers following an emergency landing and fire earlier this month, and none of the strategic aircraft will perform flyovers