Whidbey Growlers to fly over CenturyLink

CenturyLink Field is in for a noise-off Sunday. Noise created by the EA-18G Growler, well-known for it’s 110-plus decibel levels, may be drowned out in a flyover at CenturyLink Field, where crowd levels have been recorded as high as 137.6 decibels.

CenturyLink Field is in for a noise-off Sunday.

Noise created by the EA-18G Growler, well-known for it’s 110-plus decibel levels, may be drowned out in a flyover at CenturyLink Field, where crowd levels have been recorded as high as 137.6 decibels.

Weather permitting, two Growlers and one MH-60 Seahawk from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station will conduct flyovers over CenturyLink Field at the kickoff of the NFC Championship Game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.

The Seahawks fan base took the Guinness World Record for crowd noise in December 2013 in a game against the New Orleans Saints with a crowd of 68,387 contributing to the effort. The title is now held by Kansas City Chiefs fans, who broke the record in September with a reading of 142.2 decibels.

The Growler has taken heat locally from residents who claim the aircraft, which has nearly completed its transition from the EA-6B Prowler, is overly loud and disruptive to residential areas.

Sunday, the Growler will orbit overwater between Bainbridge Island and Seattle at low altitude for approximately 20 minutes prior to overflying CenturyLink Field for the start of the game.  Routing has been coordinated with Seattle Air Traffic Control and the FAA to avoid interfering with air traffic into SEATAC and Boeing Airfield. All three aircraft will be piloted by sailors stationed at NAS Whidbey.

The Growlers hail from two different Electronic Attack Squadrons, VAQ-130’s Zappers and the Patriots of VAQ-140. NAS Whidbey Island is the home base for all of the U.S. military operational Growlers, the U.S. military’s primary electronic attack jet aircraft.

The Seahawk helicopter is from NAS Whidbey Island’s Search and Rescue unit, which conducted 35 rescue, medical evacuation and search missions that saved 47 lives in the local area last year.