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Military Aircraft in Flight

Impressive air views of military jets performing various maneuvers, reflecting aviation power and advanced aircraft design in action.

F-22 Raptor in Flight

An air-to-air front view of a C-5 Galaxy aircraft over Lake Berryessa. The C-5, one of the first to be painted in a camouflage pattern, is en route to Cairo, Egypt. State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

NASAs ER-2 No. 806 returns to flying high-altitude on April 7, 2022, after three years of heavy maintenance. NASA Armstrong operates two ER-2 aircraft to collect information about Earth resources, celestial observations, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, and oceanic processes.

F-18 Systems Research Aircraft (SRA) in flight.

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. (US Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Jeremy Farson)

U.S. Air Force Col. Travolis Simmons, 3rd Wing commander, taxis after his fini-flight in a U.S Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3 WG at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 13, 2022. A fini-flight, otherwise known as a final flight, is a traditional final flight often followed by landing in a champagne-and-water shower for pilots and some air crew members before they move to another base or retire.

DC-8 Airborne Laboratory in banked flight over snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range

Air Launch Cruise Missiles (AGM-86) on the pylon of a B-52 Stratofortress aircraft from the 92nd Bombing Wing. Base: Fairchild Air Force Base State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

An air-to-air underside view of a B-1B bomber banking to the right during an acceptance flight being conducted by Detachment 15 of the Air Force Contract Management Division. State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A B-1B Lancer from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, lands on the flightline at Dyess AFB, Texas, Feb. 3, 2024. Air Force

May 29, 2022, Jones Beach, NY, USA: Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach, NY, USA, North America

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - United Space Alliance technicians uncover the cockpit windows on space shuttle Endeavour for an employee photo opportunity at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour is balanced and secured atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA.The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era.

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's F-18B Systems Research Aircraft on an External Vision System project flight.

Su-30SM jet fighter of the Russian Navy flying over Gulf of Finland, Russia.

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor flying against sky

Oregon International Airshow, Hillsboro, USA. F-35 Lightning II high-speed pass. (Editorial Use Only)

ER-2 tail number 806, is one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s are capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically fly at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, the ER-2 set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet.The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knot

General Aviation Fixed Wing Aviat Airplanes Micco SP20 SP26 white front 3/4

DN-SC-85-08814. Country: Unknown

Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-22M3 landing at Dyagilevo Air Base, Russia.

A B-1B Lancer of the U.S. Air Force taking off.

GRUMMAN A-6E INTRUDER. Bombardero de combate que entró en servicio en 1973. Retirado en marzo de 1995. Museo del Vuelo. Seattle. Estado de Washington. Estados Unidos.

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing conducts a training sortie above Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 19, 2022. This year marks the F-22s 25th anniversary of consistently providing America and its allies with fifth-generation air superiority.

A U.S. Air Force F-117 Nighthawk.

The B-2 Spirit of Pennsylvania takes off from Edwards Air Force Base, California, enroute to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, June 14, for maintenance. (Air Force photo by Giancarlo Casem)

An F-16C Fighting Falcon, from the 421st Fighter Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, after an overnight stay, takes off from the Salt Lake City International Airport. The F-16's were diverted to the Utah Air National Guard Base, who uses the airport for their runway as well, due to an accident at Hill AFB. An F-16C, at Hill AFB, crashed after the nose-gear tire blew during a high-speed takeoff. Base: Salt Lake City State: Utah (UT) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: ANG

Thunderbirds KC-135 US Air Force

A left front view of an SR-71 Blackbird aircraft piloted by Undersecretary of the Air Force Edward C. Aldrich, as he taxies it out to the runway before takeoff. Base: Beale Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Fighter Jet at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Kiev, Ukraine

A Convair UC-880 aircraft, the only such aircraft in U.S. Navy service, refuels an F/A-18A Hornet aircraft. The Convair is assigned to Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, and is employed in Tomahawk cruise missile testing and refueling aircraft procedures. Country: Unknown

USA, Wisconsin, Oshkosh, Whittman Field, Experimental Aircraft Association, 2009 Air Venture, WhiteKnightTwo named Eve a twin hulled aircraft, shown flying.

A U.S. Air Force F-22A takes off from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

A view of an F-4E Phantom II aircraft mounted upside-down on a test tower at the Rome Air Development Center Newport site. Attached to the undercarriage of the F-4E is a special electronics pod holding a Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS). Base: Griffiss Air Force Base State: New York (NY) Country: United States Of America (USA)

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's F-18B Systems Research Aircraft on an External Vision System project flight.

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's F-18B Systems Research Aircraft on an External Vision System project flight.

U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With drag chute unfurled, space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after 15 days in space, completing the more than 6.2-million-mile STS-131 mission on orbit 238. Main gear touchdown was at 9 08 35 a.m. EDT followed by nose gear touchdown at 9 08 47 a.m. and wheelstop at 9 09 33 a.m. Aboard are Commander Alan Poindexter; Pilot James P. Dutton Jr.; and Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The seven-member STS-131 crew carried the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that were transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also switched out a gyroscope on the stations truss, installed a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieved a Japanese experiment from the stat

Flt 528Mr. Theodore "Dutch" Dyckman pilots BF-19 during a STOVL currency flight at NAS Patuxent River, Md., February 8, 2023. The LSO for the flight was LtCol Michael "Latch" Lippert.

Rockwell B-1B Lancer. Four-engine strategic bomber variable-sweep wing, used by the United States Air Force (USAF). The B-1B version entered service in 1986 being assigned to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a nuclear bomber. In the 1990s, the B-1B was modified for use as a conventional bomber. It entered combat for the first time during Operation Desert Fox, bombing raids over Iraq between 16 and 19 December 1998. South Dakota Air and Space Museum. Box Elder, South Dakota, United States.

A U.S. Air Force U-2 Dragon Lady takes off during Wings Over Solano at Travis Air Force Base, California, May 14, 2022. The Wings Over Solano open house and air show offered the local community the opportunity to interact directly with the base and its Airmen to see the capabilities of Travis AFB on full display.

A U.S. Air Force F-35A combat aircraft in flight.

A left rear view of a 37th Tactical Fighter Wing F-117A Stealth Fighter aircraft on display at the Department of Defense Joint Services Open House. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Andrew Gray, 71st Fighter Squadron commander, taxis an F-22 Raptor at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Mar. 29, 2023. As commander of the 71st FS, Gray led the way by taxiing one of the first F-22 Raptors on the runway to be part of the new Formal Training Unit aircraft fleet being established at JBLE.

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Two aircraft from the Tora, Tora, Tora demonstration team fly over Little Rock Oct. 8 during an incentive flight. Tora, Tora, Tora is a recreation of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.

An air-to-air left side overhead view of a camouflaged C-141B Starlifter aircraft. Country: Unknown

P-38 LIGHTNING WWII AIRCRAFT FLYING OVER CLOUDS

A left front view of an F-111 aircraft as it takes off during exercise Bright Star '83. Base: Cairo West Air Base State: Al Qahirah Country: Egypt (EGY)

DF-ST-88-05129. Base: English Channel

An F-35A Lightning II from Hill Air Force Base, Utah arrives at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore. on May 19, 2022. This fighter jet is one of several to arrive at the base as they gear up to participate in the Oregon International Air Show in Hillsboro, which is set to kick off Friday, May 20, 2022.

An F-16 "Fighting Falcon" from the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, sits on the ramp at Nellis AFB, Nevada, at night with the Las Vegas "Strip" in the background. The jet sits after being loaded and prepared for a night training flight during course. Country: Unknown

Military pilot in the cockpit of a jet aircraft Military pilot in the cockpit of a jet aircraft. Copyright: xZoonar.com/AlexanderxStrelax 10775110

A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II taxis during exercise Falcon Strike 2022 at Amendola Air Base, Italy, Nov. 15, 2022. Falcon Strike 22 consisted of multiple NATO nations practicing joint offensive and defensive air operations that integrated fourth and fifth-generation airpower.

Fairchild-Republic A10 Thunderbold II ( Warthog ) taxiing during the Reno Stead airport during the Reno Air Races.

Detail View of an F-22 Raptor During A High Speed Pass

Spaceship, artwork

ER-2 tail number 709, was one of two Airborne Science ER-2s used as science platforms by Dryden. The aircraft were platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They were also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation.

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.

BF-1 Flight 100. Aerial Mode 4 on 07 March 2011 with Mr.Peter Wilson as the pilot.

A USAF Thunderbird F-16 Fighting Falcon keeps low to the runway after retracting his landing gear as it increases airspeed after take-off during a show at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Base: Shaw Air Force Base State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Wanaka, Wanaka Airport, Aermacchi MB-339

An air-to-air left side view of an F-15A Eagle aircraft. Country: Deutschland / Germany (DEU)

DF-ST-86-07620. Country: Mediterranean Sea (MED)

An F-35A Lightning II from Hill Air Force Base, Utah arrives at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore., August 18, 2022, ahead of the Oregon International Air Show in McMinnville. The air show will run through the weekend, from August 19th to the 21st.

060728-N-0490C-002. Country: Atlantic Ocean (AOC)

An AV-8B Harrier II sits on display at the Historical Aircraft Park, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, June 16, 2022. This is part of an ongoing project to add more static aircraft to the air station that have significance to MCAS Cherry Point.

Turkish Air Force F-4 Phantom taxiing at Konya Air Base, Turkey.

NASA Dryden's T-38 trainer aircraft in flight over Cuddeback Dry Lake in Southern California.Formerly at NASA's Langley Research Center, this Northrop T-38 Talon is now used for mission support and pilot proficiency at the Dryden Flight Research Center.

DN-ST-88-05261. Country: Unknown

A-8B Harrier aircraft line the runway. They have been evacuated from the east coast during Hurricane Fran. Base: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base State: Ohio (OH) Country: United States Of America (USA)

British Airways supersonic passenger aircraft Concorde lands at Sahar Airport now Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Bombay now Mumbai ; Maharashtra ; India

The second X-45A Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) technology demonstrator completed its first flight on November 21, 2002, after taking off from a dry lakebed at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California.X-45A vehicle two flew for approximately 30 minutes and reached an airspeed of 195 knots and an altitude of 7500 feet. This flight validated the functionality of the UCAV flight software on the second air vehicle.Dryden is supporting the DARPA/Boeing team in the design, development, integration, and demonstration of the critical technologies, processes, and system attributes leading to an operational UCAV system. Dryden support of the X-45A demonstrator system includes analysis, component development, simulations, ground and flight tests.

Air to air, three quarter front high view, from a tanker, of a 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing's SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft on a mission out of its home base, Beale Air Force Base, California. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Country: Unknown

The holder of two rockets on a wing of the plane with changeable geometry of a wing

NASA test pilots Jim Clue” Less and Wayne Ringo” Ringelberg step to the F/A-18 research aircraft at Ellington Field and conduct pre-flight safety checks on the aircraft prior to a supersonic research flight for the QSF18 series.

Sierra Nevada Corps Dream Chaser posed on ramp at sunrise at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in California where the aircraft has gone through a series of tests in preparation for flight.

060907-F-6019H-002. Base: Mcconnell Afb State: Kansas (KS) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Swiss Air Force F-5E Tiger II parked in its hangar.

NASAs F/A-18 research aircraft stands ready prior to a QSF18 supersonic research flight off the coast of Galveston, Texas.

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, War Memorial of Korea, Jeonjaeng ginyeomgwan, Yongsan-dong, Seoul, South Korea, Asia

A rear view of a 37th Tactical Fighter Wing F-117A Stealth Fighter aircraft on display at the Department of Defense Joint Services Open House. Base: Andrews Air Force Base State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

NASA test pilots Jim Clue” Less and Wayne Ringo” Ringelberg step to the F/A-18 research aircraft at Ellington Field and conduct pre-flight safety checks on the aircraft prior to a supersonic research flight for the QSF18 series.

1960s DOUGLAS A-4 SKYHAWK FLYING OVER OCEAN

The Hexa, an electric, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, hovers in the air during its first test flight at a military airfield July 7 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Hexa team completed the aircrafts flight test via remote control. The aircraft, which used 18 motors and propellors, flew for approximately 10 minutes and reached a height of about 50 feet. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's two T-38A Talon mission support aircraft flew together for the first time on Sept. 26, 2007 while conducting pitot-static airspeed calibration checks during routine pilot proficiency flights. The two aircraft, flown by NASA research pilots Kelly Latimer and Frank Batteas, joined up with a NASA Dryden F/A-18 flown by NASA research pilot Dick Ewers to fly the airspeed calibrations at several speeds and altitudes that would be flown by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Boeing 747SP during its initial flight test phase. The T-38s, along with F/A-18s, serve in a safety chase role during those test missions, providing critical instrument and visual monitoring for the flight test series.

A U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft prepares to taxi Oct. 7, 2010, for its first flight at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. This was the Global Hawk's first takeoff since its arrival Sept. 20, 2010. The RQ-4 is the only permanently-stationed aircraft on Andersen.

Military jet

This right-side view shows an F/A-18E from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. The aircraft is in NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center Flight Loads Laboratory in Edwards, California, where it underwent the centers biggest load calibrations tests. This testing will permit the aircraft to serve as a test vehicle for determining if it can safely manage maneuvers and proposed upgrades.

DN-SC-85-08811. Country: Unknown

An F-15 Eagle aircraft fuselage is offloaded from a flatbed truck in Hangar #101. The aircraft will be modified and reassembled for antenna testing at the Rome Air Development Center Newport site. Base: Griffiss Air Force Base State: New York (NY) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Two T-38 Talons from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, fly in formation with 2 F-16 Falcons from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, on April 7, 2022. The 4 aircraft joined up together to practice formation flights over southwest Texas before heading back to Laughlin for a presentation to student pilots.

NASA Research Jets

Two F-22 Raptors fly over Edwards Air Force Base, California, Aug. 23. (Air Force photo by Giancarlo Casem)

An air-to-air left underside view of an F-16B Fighting Falcon aircraft with a glide bomb mounted on the right outboard wing pylon, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles on the wingtips, and an AN/ALQ-119 Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) pod on the fuselage centerline. Base: Edwards Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Families view a static F-16 Fighting Falcon at the Titans of Flight Air Expo, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, April 8, 2022. The airshow showcases more than 50 aerial demonstration performances and static aircraft displays.

A front underside view of a Royal New Zealand Air Force A-4 Skyhawk aircraft as it takes off from Royal Australian Air Force Base, Darwin, Australia, during the joint Australia/New Zealand/US Exercise PITCH BLACK '84. Subject Operation/Series: PITCH BLACK '84 Country: Australia (AUS)

Old rocket on the site of the Military History Museum, Berlin Gatow airfield, Berlin, Germany, Europe

An Oregon Air National Guard F-15C Eagle takes off from the Portland Air National Guard Base Oct. 2, 2010.

A Tactical Aerial Refueling Squadron 208 (VAK-208) KA-3B Skywarrior aircraft sits on the pier, attached to a crane. The aircraft, which has been retired from service, will be loaded onto a barge and taken to the Western Aerospace Museum in Oakland, Calif., where it will be placed on display. Base: Naval Air Station, Alameda State: California(CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

US Navy S3A Viking

April 13, 2011 - A BQM-167A Subscale Aerial Target is ready to be launched from Tyndall Air Force Base Launch Facility for the 104th Fighter Wing, Massachusetts Air National Guard. Deployed to Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, the 104th is participating in the Weapons System Evaluation Program (WSEP). The two week training and evaluation program is important for ground crews to test their maintenance systems and processes while loading live munitions on F-15 Eagles, as well as critical live tra

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