Tkachuk soars with U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in F-16

Matthew Tkachuk is taking flight.

The Florida Panthers forward took to the skies on Friday, flying in an F-16 Fighting Falcon with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

Tkachuk served as the civilian passenger of the plane as part of the Air Force’s “Hometown Heroes” program.

“It’s very nice of them to share this with me,” Tkachuk told the Panthers. “It was an amazing day leading into it. It’s crazy how much stuff goes into to flying for just over an hour. The only time I felt a little iffy up there was when (the pilot) let me fly it. I was just doing flip after flip. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

Tkachuk definitely wasn’t just winging it on Friday. He went through hours of extensive training before hitting the skies, including special breathing exercises to prepare for the extreme G-force of the place (the crew hit 9.5 G’s in the air).

After the crew landed, Tkachuk presented the pilots with a customized Panthers jersey and even let everyone take pictures with his gold medal from the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“We were talking about a lot of similarities between hockey and what they do,” Tkachuk told the Panthers. “It’s a family atmosphere. They’re so close and they need each other. They rely on each other. You have to do your exact part in order for it to work. They’re an inspiration. I love how they’re a big team.”

The Thunderbirds are in town for the Fort Lauderdale Air Show taking place on Saturday and Sunday.

The day before Tkachuk’s flight, the pilots took a tour of the Panthers practice facility, meeting the players at the Baptist Health IcePlex.

“They went above and beyond,” Tkachuk told the Panthers. “It was such an incredible day for me.”