Memorial Flyovers and the Missing Man Formation
A quiet, precise tribute — flown at the moment it matters, for those who served.
We have always seen ourselves as secondary. That each branch service of the U.S. military should honor and commemorate its own.
But rising operational tempo and limited resources mean the military cannot support every deserved request. That is the gap we fill. No veteran should go without the commemoration they earned because a squadron was tasked elsewhere.
We fly the Missing Man formation over national cemeteries, graveside services, celebrations of life, and memorial ceremonies — timed to the second, coordinated with the cemetery, and flown by pilots who understand exactly what they are being asked to do.
Who we fly for
Veterans and retired service members — graveside services, interments, and inurnments
Fallen first responders — law enforcement, fire, and EMS line-of-duty services
Celebrations of life and memorial services — held at a cemetery, a church, a home, or a coastline
Ash scattering and burial at sea ceremonies
Annual commemorations — unit reunions, Memorial Day and Veterans Day observances, and anniversary tributes
You do not need to be a pilot or an aviator to be honored this way. If they served, we will fly for them.
How it comes together
Call us first, before anything else is locked in. Tell us the date, the cemetery or location, and roughly when in the service you want the aircraft overhead. That is enough for us to tell you honestly whether we can do it.
We coordinate with the cemetery or funeral home. National cemeteries have their own scheduling process, and most funeral directors have never arranged a flyover before. You should not have to be the one explaining it to them. We contact them directly, work out the timing, and handle the FAA approvals and airspace authorizations required to be overhead.
We time the pass to the moment. Usually the rifle volley, taps, or the folding of the flag. Your funeral director calls it, or we work off the program. Either way, the formation arrives on the moment — not a minute early, not a minute late.
We stay out of the way. No branding, no sales presence at the service.
Where we fly
We regularly fly tributes at local, regional and National Cemeteries, as well as other preferred locations such as the the USS Midway Museum — along with private services, churches, and coastal ceremonies throughout California.
We also fly memorial tributes nationwide, including Arizona and Washington State. If your service is outside California, call us and we will tell you plainly what is possible from where we are.
About the flight team
Memorial tributes are flown by the San Diego Salute Formation Flight Team, booked exclusively through Showboss Productions. The team is made up of active duty, retired U.S. military, and professional air show pilots. Formation flying of this kind takes currency, discipline, and rehearsal — and every pass over a service is flown to that standard.
Timing
More notice is always better. But we have executed memorial flyovers on a few days' notice when the approvals and the aircraft lined up, and we would rather you call and let us try than assume it is too late.
If the service is soon, call now. We will give you a straight answer today.
The Missing Man Formation
The formation arrives as a tight four-ship. On the second pass, over the service, one aircraft pulls up and away from the formation and continues climbing until it is out of sight. The remaining aircraft hold their position and fly on.
It is the oldest aviation tribute there is, and it says the one thing everyone gathered below already knows: someone is missing, and the formation is not the same without them.
We fly it with vintage military trainers — the T-34 Mentor, T-6 Texan, and T-28 Trojan. Radial and turboprop engines, propellers, the sound the World War II and Korea generation grew up with. For most families, that sound is the point.
If you are arranging a service, email us directly. We would rather hear from you too early than too late.
We are a civilian formation flight organization. We are not a substitute for official military funeral honors, and where the armed forces can support your service, they should. We are here for when they cannot.
“The fine folks at Showboss performed a flyover at my father’s funeral at Miramar Cemetery. Beautiful tight formation, and missing man formation on second pass. Chris organized with the cemetery to have the flyover occur at precisely the right moment during the funeral. Very reasonably priced. Thank you so much.”
“We had an outstanding experience! The flyover for our Memorial Day observance at Rose Hills Memorial Park was absolutely beautiful, and our families were so happy and excited to see the planes fly overhead. It made the ceremony even more meaningful. The team was incredibly professional, easy to work with, and made the entire process seamless from start to finish. We truly appreciated their excellent service and attention to detail. We look forward to working with them again for next year’s Memorial Day observance. Highly recommend! ”
“A huge thank you to Oz and the team at Showboss Productions. Extremely easy to work with, professional, and WOW - what an impactful aviation formation display! Thank you for putting together a great send off for our fallen friend. ”
“Christopher and his team of 4 did a flyover for my Grandpa’s funeral at Riverside National Cemetery and let me tell you, if there ever is such thing as a great funeral my Grandpa’s was it because of this flyover! Christopher responded to all of my emails very quickly, he was professional and overall great to work with. I have nothing at all bad to say about Chris and his team. Truly, he made a sad day so very special and amazing! Thank you Christopher.”