Thursday morning, four fighter jets will blast through the skies over UNC-Chapel Hill, a dry run to gear up for Saturday. That's when they'll execute another fly-over to kick off the Tar Heel football season. The Heels kick off their home season at noon Saturday against Georgia Tech.

Below, I've copy-pasted a letter to the community from Linda Convissor, UNC's local relations guru.

Dear Friends and Neighbors:
 
Saturday is the first home football game of the season.  Carolina will kick-off against Georgia Tech at noon.
 
Just prior to kickoff, we continue the tradition of jet fly overs.   Four Air Force F-16C  jets will fly over Kenan Stadium; they will fly low and be quite loud.
 
Tomorrow morning, Thursday, September 16, the jets will do practice runs over the stadium between 10:45 and 11:00 a.m.  Of course, bad weather or aircraft schedule changes could affect the flight plans for Thursday and Saturday.
 
The jets are based in South Carolina as part of the 157th Fighter Squadron known as “Swamp Fox”.  In August, Swamp Fox returned from a combat tour in Iraq.  Two pilots are Carolina alums:  Lieutenant Colonel Scott “Chop” Lambe of Atlanta, Georgia, UNC class of 1987 and Major Brent “Wrench” Allen of Chapel Hill, UNC class of 1994.  The other two pilots are Lieutenant Colonel Tim “Rhino” Bennett, Commander of the 157th Fighter Squadron, from Charlotte, NC and Major Brian “Hawk” Ferguson from Newton, Iowa.
 
Whether or not you are attending the game, you might want to come to campus to enjoy Tar Heel Town.  Tar Heel Town will open at 9 a.m. Be there for the Old Well Walk at 9:30 a.m. as Coach Davis and the Tar Heels walk across Polk Place to Kenan Stadium. Stay and listen to the Marching Tar Heels who will play in front of Wilson Library at 11 a.m.  Kids’ activities, food and, of course, Ramses are a big part of Tar Heel Town.
 
Touch Downtown www.touchdowntown.com provides information for "park and ride" to the game.  You can ride the Tar Heel Express from four park and ride lots; this season the two lots on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard will not be served by park and ride.
 
Fireworks are now a regular feature at UNC home football games.  You may hear and see them approximately 15 minutes prior to kick-off, during the National Anthem, and about 10 minutes later as the team enters the stadium.  During the game, they will recognize touchdowns, field goals and of course, Carolina victories.
 
If you are a community group or neighborhood representative, please forward this email to your members and others who may be interested.
 
Have a great weekend and Go Heels!
 
Linda
Linda Convissor, Director of Local Relations 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
Linda_Convissor@unc.edu 
CB# 6225 
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-6225 
919-962-9245 
on Twitter@lindaconvissor

Northrop Grumman, which lobbied North Carolina lawmakers to support its bid for a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract, announced today that it won't compete for the business.

The company decided it didn't think it could win the contract to build refueling tankers because the Pentagon's guidelines for the program “clearly favors Boeing's smaller refueling tanker,” Northrop CEO Wes Bush said in a statement.

Northrop officials launched a lobbying blitz in this state last month, meeting with lawmakers and running ads that claimed the company and its suppliers would create hundreds of jobs if it won the contract.

Its decision to back out makes rival Boeing the likely winner for the contract, which is scheduled to be awarded in September.

Triangle racquetball players, Steven Harper has a challenge: Try it
without the ceiling and the back wall – and in the great outdoors.

On March 20, the Clayton resident and retired Navy lieutenant commander
will provide the state’s first public demonstration of an outdoor
racquetball court provided through his organization, the Military Racquetball Federation.

The free clinic will take place 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at The Church @ Clayton Crossings, 11690 U.S. 70 in Clayton.

Jordan Mays, senior, Middle Creek football

Middle Creek senior Jordan Mays (pictured left #2 in white) recently announced his committment to the Air Force Academy to play football next season.

As a shut-down cornerback, Mays was a first-team all-conference selection this year as his Mustangs won a school-record 12 games and advanced to the third round of the NCHSAA playoffs — another school first.

Mays said the Air Force coaches plan on using him as a defensive back next season. The Falcons, coached by Troy Calhoun — who was rumored to to have been offered the Tennessee job — went 8-5 this year.

At service academies, there are no redshirts. Players have four years to play four.

Mays chose Air Force over offers from Navy and North Carolina Central.