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TRAVERSE CITY — When the Michigan Wolverines football team scored a victory at the Rose Bowl season semifinals on Jan. 1, Traverse City aerial photographer Tyler Leipprandt achieved his own triumphant accomplishment.

Leipprandt snapped an iconic photo of a U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bomber flying over 95,000 fans at the Pasadena, California stadium during pregame activities. Minutes after posting the photo during half-time, the image was picked up by ESPN and quickly went viral. Before long it showed up on Pure Michigan and major news sites. Leipprandt said the photo has since had tens of millions of views.

“The cherry on top was the Wolverines winning the national championship,” he said. “People want to remember the season in one photo — and that was it.”

After serving as a teacher for 11 years, Leipprandt and his family located to Traverse City in 2020 where he founded Michigan Sky Media. Capturing the Rose Bowl shot had been at the top of his bucket list. He had already photographed scenes dangling from the top of the Mackinac Bridge and had taken numerous shots above the Wolverines’ home stadium in Ann Arbor. He also shoots for the Traverse City Record-Eagle lifestyle publication, GT Scene.

Once he learned the team would compete at the Rose Bowl, he set a plan in action. Getting his dream shot became a dance between coordination, skill and luck. Leipprandt first set about chartering a helicopter. The chopper company took on the job of obtaining permits for the flyover in accordance with FAA temporary stadium flight restrictions.

“It wasn’t until the morning of the game that we got the final approval,” he said.

Leipprandt was accompanied by his brother Marshall, an Air Force veteran, who would shoot video. They arrived at the stadium with five cameras, just 10 minutes before the flyover. Chopper doors were removed allowing the photographer to lean out for a clear view.

The Air Force plane flew at a speed of 300 miles per hour at 2,000 feet. The chopper hovered at 4,000 feet.

“The stealth bomber flew over the mountains. It was very hard to see in the air and we didn’t want to miss the shot,” Leipprandt said. “The helicopter drifted too far, then, we were over the field at the last second.”

Leipprandt snapped 50 shots. “Right after I took it, I said ‘I got it. I got it. I got it’ — hoping it was in focus and the aircraft was positioned in a good spot.”

He leaned back in the copter and breathed a sigh of relief.

The popularity of the image resulted in hundreds of orders pouring into his business. He said the entire family is working to fulfill requests.

“Taking the number one photo on my bucket list on January 1, 2024, leaves me scratching my head about what I’d do next,” he said.

Still, he has the spark of a new dream.

“I’d like to have a collection of Big 10 stadiums and come out with a coffee table book.”

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