This year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. On Friday, July 3, during the “Salute to America 250” event, the US Marine Corps F-35B fighter jets performed a thrilling hovering stunt at the National Mall, showcasing their impressive aerial skills.
“Salute to America 250” is a historic national celebration commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The celebration unfolded grandly in Washington D.C. and across the country, featuring the largest historical air shows and record-breaking fireworks displays.
On Friday morning, Eastern Time, an F-35B stealth fighter jet performed a daring hovering demonstration at the National Mall, leaving the audience in awe.
The F-35B is a fifth-generation short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) stealth fighter developed by Lockheed Martin. With its unique “Shaft-Driven Lift Fan” and three-axis thrust vectoring technology, it can hover and vertically take off like a helicopter, providing powerful fifth-generation aerial combat capabilities for amphibious assaults and light carriers.
On July 4, the United States will celebrate its 250th anniversary, and the skies over Washington D.C. will set the stage for the largest air show in American history. The lineup includes B-52 “Stratofortress,” B-1B “Lancer,” B-2 “Spirit” bombers, the Navy’s “Blue Angels” aerial demonstration team, F-22 “Raptor” and F-35B “Lightning II” fighter jets, as well as the US Air Force’s “Thunderbirds,” making their first-ever appearance at this location in their 73-year history.
The highlight of the aerial performance will be a rare formation of all three strategic bomber types flying together in front of a civilian audience, last seen at the 55th Super Bowl LV air show in 2021.
During the performance, the B-52 bomber, in service since 1955 and with a fleet age surpassing many of its pilots, will share the sky with the variable-sweep-wing B-1B and the stealth bomber B-2 “Spirit.” This flyover is not just a flight but a visual timeline showcasing 70 years of American air power development condensed into a formation flying over the Washington Monument.
The “Thunderbirds” and “Blue Angels” will perform consecutively: the “Thunderbirds” F-16C “Fighting Falcon” will display its iconic diamond formation, followed closely by the “Blue Angels” flying the “Super Hornet.” With the flyovers of F-22 and F-35B, the total value of the entire formation’s airborne equipment is approximately $6 billion.
For the pilots, the mission is clear: execute flight maneuvers they have practiced for thousands of hours in front of possibly the largest audience they will face in their careers. For the audience, it is a rare experience to witness the full spectrum of America’s military aviation power: from the 71-year-old veteran bombers to the most advanced stealth fighters, soaring together in the same blue sky above the iconic national monuments where the country was born.