The Panthers star swapped his skates for a flight suit, enduring a grueling F-16 cockpit ride that pushed his limits while providing a breathtaking perspective of Florida.
Since arriving in town back in 2022, Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has grown very fond of Fort Lauderdale and its surrounding areas.
Often seen driving around town in his golf cart or visiting Elbo Room, his favorite local watering hole, Tkachuk was quick to embrace the lifestyle of a South Floridian.
One of the more popular events in Fort Lauderdale is the annual air show along the beach.
This year, Tkachuk was invited to join the show headliners, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds squadron, for a cockpit ride along.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Tkachuk and it offered him a unique way to view his new home that was certainly too good to pass up.
On Friday, Tkachuk had his aviators on as he climbed into the backseat of Lt. Col. Tyler “Wrath” Kenner’s Thunderbird F-16 Fighting Falcon for an exhilarating flight above Fort Lauderdale.
Afterwards, he looked equal parts amazed and exhausted.
“I feel like I did one of the harder workouts of my life,” he said. “It’s no joke. I’ve gained so much more respect for the men and the women that fly these. It’s a lot.”
The Air Force outfitted Tkachuk with his own flight suit that had mission patches added before he climbed into Kenner’s Thunderbird 7.
You can check out footage of Tkachuk’s fun day in the video below:
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