UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Senator Chuck Schumer visited Utica's National Distance Running Hall of Fame Thursday to discuss his plans to revive an important Boilermaker tradition, the F-16 flyover. He has already helped Boilermaker officials secure clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) he now just urge the Pentagon and Air Force to provide the military aircraft.

With 184 days to go until Boilermaker 2013 the Senator says he will be busy trying to restore what was once a signature event of the race and what hasn't been a part of it since 2009. His idea, to make the flyover part of Air Force training.

"They do training missions so they could plan a training mission on the day of the boilermaker and fly right over us," said Senator Schumer. "It wouldn't cost the taxpayers more and wouldn't be anything in their way."

The Senator says there are four wings of them within 500 miles of Utica, one in Vermont, one in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts, so the idea is manageable. Race officials are thrilled with Senator Schumer behind them.

"I think it's tremendous, I mean to have a man of his stature to be able to stand behind us and you know it's great he knows this race very well he's been here a number of years so he really knows the importance to our runners and community to possibly have the military fly over again," said Boilermaker President Tim Reed.

Senator Schumer is now onto urging the Pentagon and Air Force to provide the military aircraft for the 2013 race.