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Military Aircraft In Flight

Dynamic shots of various military aircraft soaring through the skies, featuring detailed views of different models and configurations against dramatic cloud backdrops.

F-15 aircraft from the Louisiana Air National Guard are parked on the flightline at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Ala., Sept. 30, 2022. The aircraft were scheduled to do flyovers for an Ole Miss football game and the Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 01 and Oct. 02.

A newly repainted T-38 Talon is parked near the runway. Air Combat Command approved the proposal to have all T-38s at Beale AFB repainted to a glossy black. The repainting took place at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. The aircraft was a flat black which took 13 coats of paint. The new paint requires only one coat and is much easier to clean. The performance is improved because the plane is lighter. The wheel wells are also repainted to white. All aircraft are to be repainted by the end of the year. The first repainted aircraft arrived on January 18, 1995. Base: Beale Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Vapor trails follow space shuttle Atlantis as it approaches Runway 15 on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time. A vapor trail, known as a contrail, is a cloud of water vapor that condenses and freezes around the small particles in aircraft exhaust. Atlantis marked the 26th nighttime landing of NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the 78th landing at Kennedy. It also was the final mission for the shuttle program.STS-135 was the 33rd and final flight for Atlantis, which has spent 307 days in space, orbited Earth 4,848 times and traveled 125,935,769 miles.

Visitors Viewing B1-B Stealth Bomber, Van Nuys Air Show, California

DN-ST-89-06442. Country: Mediterranean Sea (MED)

England, Cambridgeshire, Duxford, Imperial War Museum, American Air Museum Hangar, Exhibit, Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird Reconnaissance Aircraft

DF-SC-85-08468. Country: Unknown

A F-15E Strike Eagle of the U.S. Air Force uses aero braking after landing.

DN-SC-04-15212. Country: Unknown

Proteus in flight over mountains near Las Cruces, New Mexico.

AV-8B (NASA-704) take-off at Crow Landing, Central Valley, CA

U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II taking off, Aviano, Italy.

Tandem Launch of F-16s

A Massachusetts Air National Guard F-15C Eagle taxis to the take off runway.

F-16C Thunderbirds on the ramp at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

F-117A Nighthawk US Air Force

Front 3/4 flying view of the experimental, kit built Turbine Legend private plane. This is a turbine, turbo prop powered two seat fixed wing aircraft. Powered by a Walter turboprop. It can cruise at over 300 mph.

A F-35A of the Royal Netherlands Air Force landing at Leeuwarden Air Base, the Netherlands.

A collection of NASA's research aircraft on the ramp at the Dryden Flight Research Center in July 1997: X-31, F-15 ACTIVE, SR-71, F-106, F-16XL Ship #2, X-38, Radio Controlled Mothership and X-36.

An F-117A aircraft from the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing (37th TFW) sits inside a hangar during Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia (SAU)

DF-ST-87-08926. Country: West Germany (FRG)

A 325th Fighter Wing T-38 Talon taxies as an F-22A Raptor takes off for a mission Oct. 28 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. A squadron of the wings Raptors and Talons have been at Eglin since Hurricane Michael devastated Tyndall Air Force Base in 2018.

An in-flight photo of the NASA F-15A used to carry a 10 degree cone to collect aerodynamic data to calibrate the data from wind tunnels. Acting as chase for the flight was a NASA T-38 aircraft.

An air-to-air right side view of two Strike Fighter Squadron 136 (VFA-136) F/A-18C Hornet aircraft near Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads. State: Puerto Rico (PR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Dropping the X-38

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform June 25, 2022, at Hill Air ForceBase for the Warriors Over the Wasatch Air and Space Show.

An air-to-air right side view of a Strike Fighter Squadron 136 (VFA-136) F/A-18C Hornet aircraft over the airfield at Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads. State: Puerto Rico (PR) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier from MAG 13 doing an aerial demonstration at the Watsonville, CA airshow. The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century. It is primarily used for light attack or multi-role tasks, typically operated from small aircraft carriers and large amphibious assault ships.

A P-51 Mustang prepares to perform an aerial demonstration at the Joint Base Andrews 2022 Air and Space Expo at JBA, Md., Sept. 18, 2022. Airshows provide an opportunity for people to see U.S. military air capabilities in action and meet the service members who fly and maintain the equipment.

DN-ST-88-04028. Country: Unknown

The Air Forces premiere aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, perform at the Oregon International Airshow in McMinnville, Ore., Aug. 20, 2022. The Thunderbirds perform for people all around the world to display the pride, precision and professionalism the U.S. Air Force represents.

DN-SC-90-01431. Base: Naval Air Station, Moffett Field State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, known as the Thunderbirds, perform for the Legacy of Liberty air show over Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, May 7, 2022. The Thunderbirds are slated to perform nearly seventy air shows this season.

LEEUWARDEN, THE NETHERLANDS -MAY 26: F-35 fighter during it's first test in Europe on May 26, 2016 in Leeuwarden. It is the world's most advanced multi-role fighter.

Scaled Composites' Proteus aircraft with an F/A-18 Hornet and a Beechcraft KingAir from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center during a low-level flyby at Mojave Airport in Southern California.The unique tandem-wing Proteus was the testbed for a series of UAV collision-avoidance flight demonstrations. An Amphitech 35GHz radar unit installed below Proteus' nose was the primary sensor for the Detect, See and Avoid tests.

Air to air view right side, high, view of a 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing's SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft, flying over scattered clouds, on a mission out of Beale Air Force Base, California. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Country: Unknown

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds present Tyler Sauvage, Hometown Hero, a flight during The Great Texas Airshow, Apr. 22, 2022, at JBSA-Randolph, Texas. The Great Texas Airshow, featuring the Thunderbirds, is scheduled for April 23 thru 24 at JBSA-Randolph. The Thunderbirds perform for people all around the world to display the pride, precision and professionalism the U.S. Air Force represents. Through air shows and flyovers, they aim to excite and inspire. In addition to showcasing the elite skills all pilots must possess, the Thunderbirds demonstrate the incredible capabilities of the Air Force's premier multi-role fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

DF-SC-85-02843. Country: Unknown

DN-SC-89-11087. Country: Japan (JPN)

F-18 and X-45 in Flight

Left side view of three T-45A Goshawk trainer aircraft in flight formation over the Naval Air Training Center (NATC). The number three aircraft has its tail hook down. Base: Patuxent River State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DN-SC-87-10233. Country: Unknown

USA, Arizona, Tucson, PIMA Air and Space Museum. A row of US Air Force fighter jets at the Pima Air and Space Museum

USA, Indiana, Indianapolis, Mount Comfort Airport. Front of an A-10 Thunderbolt II warplane painted with a shark face.

The Air Forces premiere aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, perform at the Oregon International Airshow in McMinnville, Ore., Aug. 20, 2022. The Thunderbirds perform for people all around the world to display the pride, precision and professionalism the U.S. Air Force represents.

General Dynamics F-16B above the Leeuwarden airbase.

An F/A-18A Hornet aircraft, assigned to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, in flight over the bay. In the background is the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. The aircraft is piloted by LT. Dan Hinson of the Strike Ordnance Department at Pax River. Base: Chesapeake Bay State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A front view of the B-2 advanced technology bomber at its rollout Air Force Plant 42. Base: Palmdale State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A T-6 Texan II aircraft assigned to the 80th Flying Training Wing taxis down the flightline at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, Feb. 16, 2023, prior to Accelerating the Legacy 2023. Accelerating the Legacy is a three-day Black History Month aviation heritage event that honors the past, develops the present, and promotes the future of aviation.

Polish Air Force M-346 during aerobatic maneuvers.

Artwork: "Chuck Sewell Tests the X-29". Artist: Walter E. Koerschner. U.S. Air Force Art Collection. Country: Unknown

A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet assigned to the 169th Fighter Wing, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, taxis to the runway in preparation of departure from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in West Columbia, South Carolina, September 15, 2022. The 169th Fighter Wing is temporarily flying out of Columbia Metropolitan Airport while the McEntire Joint National Guard Base runway undergoes construction.

An air-to-air right overhead view of an SR-71A strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The SR-71 is unofficially known as the "Blackbird.". Base: Beale Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DF-SC-85-09967. Country: Unknown

USA, Florida, Pensacola, Fighter jet outside National Museum of Naval Aviation

PALMDALE, Calif. (May 21, 2013)Two Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicles are seen on the tarmac at a Northrop Grumman test facility in Palmdale, Calif. Triton is undergoing flight testing as an unmanned maritime surveillance vehicle.

Two T-45A Goshawk aircraft fly in formation during a test flight out of Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland.. Country: Chesapeake Bay

Thunderbird #2 from the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, lands on the Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., runway after completing an aerial performance during the 2010 Aviation Nation Nellis Open House Nov. 13. The open house also acts as the final air show of the year for the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds.

Line of MB-339NAT training aircrafts of the Al Fursan aerobatic team, Zhukovsky, Russia.

F-15B ACTIVE in flight over lakebed

FORMATION FLIGHTS WITH THE TWIN OTTER AND THE OV-10 AIRCRAFT

An air-to-air right side view of four F-106 Delta Dart aircraft in a diamond formation. The aircraft are from the 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. Base: Mount Rushmore State: South Dakota (SD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

130514-N-JQ696-533NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (May 4, 2013) The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator lands at Naval Air Staion Patuxent River, Md., after completing the first launch of an unmanned aerial vehicle from an aircraft carrier.

F-35A Lightning of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

The B-1B bomber on display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, adjacent to Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, South Dakota, USA, North America

T-7A Red Hawk Engineering and Manufacturing Development First Flight, St. Louis Lambert International Airport - St. Louis, MO. MSF23-030 Series.

A CF-18 Hornet assigned to the 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force takes off during exercise RED-FLAG-Alaska 22-1, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, April 29, 2022. This exercise provides unique opportunities to integrate various forces into joint and multilateral training from simulated forward operating bases.

A Lockheed P2V-7B, P-2H & SP-2H Neptune Maritime Patrol Flop (1961-1982) Above Willemstad, Curaçao.

A gold U.S. Air Force F-16A Falcon from the Iowa Air National Guard is on the ramp in Sioux City, Iowa on June 30, 2022. The jet is painted with commemorative anniversary paint scheme that replicates the units 50th anniversary gold jet as it appeared in 1996. The 2022 redesign of the 185th Air Refueling Wing static display was unveiled as the Air Force celebrates its 75th Anniversary this year. U.S. Air Force photo Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot

A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet from the South Carolina Air National Guards 169th Fighter Wing departs Columbia Metropolitan Airport in West Columbia, South Carolina to an alternate airfield September 29, 2022. The temporary relocation is a safety precaution ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Ian. The aircraft will return to South Carolina and resume their normal flight training operations just as soon as conditions allow.

Blue Angels Soar in Precision: Pre-Season Formation Practice at Naval Air Field El Centro The elite US Navy Blue Angels hone precision in the California desert, practicing intricate formation flying at Naval Air Field El Centro for the upcoming air show season Copyright: xZoonar.com/WalterxGxArcexSrxGrindstonexMediaxGroup/WalterxArcexPhotographyx 21361739

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber being escorted by a pair of flying saucers.

A U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 is being thoroughly inspected to ensure no mechanical problems will take place for Skyfest 2022 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington May 12, 2022. Skyfest is an airshow that Team Fairchild puts on roughly every two years as a way to show appreciation to the local community for all that they do.

A lone U.S. Air Force F-15C/D Eagle takes off at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, at the start of RED FLAG-Alaska 23-1 Oct. 10, 2022. The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to permit the Air Force to gain and maintain air supremacy over the battlefield.

The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, known as the Thunderbirds, fly for the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California, Sept. 30, 2022. Huntington Beach played host to more than a million attendees along the stretch of Pacific Coast Highway that the Thunderbirds used for their demonstration.

060812-F-7049H-007. Base: Anchorage State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A U.S. Air Force F-16D Fighting Falcon, belonging to the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, stands on display after a flight to the 177th Fighter Wing, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey on Aug. 22, 2022. The Thunderbirds annually demonstrate their rigorous training and precision maneuvers during a routine at the Atlantic City shore.

Su-30SM jet fighters of the Russian Knights aerobatics team.

1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird white

Spectators view static aircraft displays at the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, Nov. 11, 2022. The NAS Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show is one of Pensacola's largest events, attracting 150,000-180,000 spectators during the two-day event.

Tucson, United States - 30 January 2025: Aerial view of rows of decommissioned aircraft glinting in the Arizona sun, a silent testament to aviation history.

A KC-135R Stratotanker sits in front of the new $31 million aircraft maintenance hangar at the 134th Air Refueling Wing, McGhee Tyson ANG Base, Tennessee. The grand opening of the new hangar was held on Jun. 3, with Airmen and community members present for the event.

Victorville, United States - 28 March 2025: Aerial view of rows of grounded airplanes baking under the harsh California sun, wings gleaming against the arid desert landscape.

Blue Angels - Sun n Fun airshow, Lakeland Florida

A graph comparing Soviet and U.S. tactical aircraft. Country: Unknown

air force eagle team vector art

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