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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

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter in Flight

Modern war jet close up view

A very tight close up shot of German Air Force Luftwaffe McDonnell F-4 Phantom II

A F-35A of the U.S. Air Force taxies onto the runway of Leeuwarden Air Base, the Netherlands.

Russian Air Force Su-24 landing at Dyagilevo Air Base, Russia.

Denmark, Jutland, Stauning, Danish Collection of Vintage Aircraft Museum, former Danish Air Force F-16 fighter

A 147th Attack Wing MQ-9 Reaper taxis at Scholes International Airport in Galveston, Texas on January 10, 2024. The Wing tested satellite launch and recovery operations at Scholes International Airport in Galveston as part of its innovative approach to the Agile Combat Employment Concept.

An MQ-9 Reaper taxi's to the runway at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

British Airways supersonic passenger aircraft Concorde lands at Sahar Airport now Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Bombay now Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Copyright: xAkellaxSrinivas/DinodiaxPhotox

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Lit from behind, Atlantis is close to touchdown on Runway 33 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, concluding mission STS-115. Aboard are Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Christopher Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Joseph Tanner, David Burbank, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steven MacLean, who represents the Canadian Space Agency. During the mission, Tanner, McLean, Burbank and Piper completed three spacewalks to attach the P3/P4 integrated truss structure to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 6:21:30 a.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 6:21:36 a.m. and wheel stop was at 6:22:16 a.m. At touchdown -- nominally about 2,500 ft. beyond the runway threshold -- the orbiter is traveling at a speed ranging from 213 to 226 mph. Atlantis traveled 4.9 million miles, landing on orbit 187. Mission elapsed time was 11 days, 19 hours, six minutes. This is the 15th night landing at KSC and the 23rd night landing overall.

Tu-160M strategic bomber of the Russian Air Force during aerial refueling.

An air-to-air right side view of the F-16X Fighting Falcon prototype aircraft during the Farnborough Air Show. The aircraft is equipped with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles on the wing tips AIM-7 Sparrow missiles on the undercarriage. Base: Farnborough Country: England / Great Britain (ENG)

A T-38 lands on July 20, 2022 on Beale Air Force Base, California. The flight was for a training exercise for cadet pilots.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After meeting with NASA officials about their involvement in the second annual Space & Air Show at Kennedy Space Center Nov. 8-9, Blue Angel pilots Lt. Frank Weisser and Lt. Dan McShane prepare for takeoff of their U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet from the Shuttle Landing Facility for the return flight to their home base in Pensacola, Fla. The air show will be only the second time the Blue Angels have performed at Kennedy. Their precision flight team will perform high-speed passes, fast rolls, mirror formations, tight turns and their signature Delta formation showcasing the capabilities of the powerful aircraft. The 2008 Space & Air Show will include aircraft displays and space-related exhibits on the ground and plenty of action in the skies over Kennedy. Returning to the show is the 920th Rescue Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command combat search and rescue unit based at Patrick Air Force Base in Central Florida. Also, more than 20 astronauts and special guests will be

A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-35A takes off for a routine training mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, May 17, 2022. Members of the RAAF have been stationed at Nellis AFB for the past few months to participate is training exercises.

130514-N-JQ696-530NAVAL 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.

A rear view of an F-14A Tomcat aircraft of Fighter Squadron 103 (VF-103) parked on the flight line near hangar 500. The aircraft jet exhaust openings are sealed up to protect the plane from foreign objects during a 30-day short term preservation caused by a lack of operating funds. Base: Naval Air Station, Oceana State: Virginia (VA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II of the Air Force Italy, 22. 06. 2005. ILA International Aerospace Exhibition Berlin, Schoenefeld, Brandenburg, Germany, Europe

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Daybreak at the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida finds space shuttle Discovery parked in position at the mate-demate device, or MDD.At the SLF, Discovery will be secured on the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, in the background. The MDD is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of an SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. Discoverys new home will be the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II flies over Bullhead City, Arizona, March 30, 2023. The A-10 Demonstration Team travels around the country to different airshows to showcase the abilities of the A-10 and its Airmen, as well as their contributions to the Air Force mission and national security.

Detailed Isometric Vector Illustration of an F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jet airborne

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

U.S. Air Force Capt. Aimee Rebel Fiedler, F-16 Demonstration Team commander and pilot, performed at the Vero Beach Air Show, FL., Apr 30, 2022. The Viper Demo Team travels to roughly 20 air shows across the United States each year where they engage with local media and members of the community in which they are performing.

Right side view of a row of F-4E Phantom II aircraft assigned to the 474th Tactical Training Wing parked on the flight line. Base: Nellis Air Force Base State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

SAAB J-35 Draken SAAB J-35 Draken Copyright: xZoonar.com/OliverxNowakx 6117598

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" perform their demonstration during the Shaw Air & Space Expo at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, April 3, 2022. The Shaw Air & Space Expo featured 12 aerial acts and 10 static display aircraft, as well as other attractions and displays which attracted more than 55,000 guests to attend.

The Navmar Applied Sciences Corporations TigerShark prepares for its final takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems integration in the National Airspace Systems, Flight Test Series Six (FT6) project. FT6 flight tests took place at NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center in California and focused on low size weight and power sensors for Detect and Avoid (DAA) operations in controlled airspace to inform the FAA through the RTCA Special Committee DAA Working Group on the phase 2 minimum operational performance standards for DAA and air-to-air radar.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the early morning hours at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with space shuttle Discovery secured atop, is in the air after taking off from runway 15 at 7 a.m. EDT. Discovery is on the way to its new home.The aircraft, known as an SCA, is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. This SCA, designated NASA 905, is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

An F-117 stealth fighter aircraft takes off on its return flight to the United States following deployment to the region during Operation Desert Storm.. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Country: Saudi Arabia(SAU)

Chinese Nanchang CJ-6 military trainer flying over Porterville, CA.

A right front view of a B-1 bomber, which is one of the B-1 models waiting to be reconfigured for production. The B-1 aircraft will undergo testing and evaluation after the production. Base: Edwards Air Force Base State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DN-ST-89-07399. Base: Naval Air Station, Pensacola State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Monument to the fighter aircraft. Poltavskaya village, Russia

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.

The lack of a vertical tail on the X-36 technology demonstrator is evident as the remotely piloted aircraft flies a low-altitude research flight above Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base in the California desert on October 30, 1997.

A Thunderbird Jr. speeds past its larger counterparts at Misawa Air Base during Air Fest 2009 Oct. 18, 2009.

A Heron TP (IAF designation Eitan) unmanned aerial vehicle, the newest UAV in the Israeli Air Force inventory.

December 6, 2008 - The first U.S. Customs and Border Protection MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle to be stationed along the northern border of the United States lands at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. The Reaper will be tasked with enhancing border security efforts along the northern border between the United States and Canada.

P-51 Mustang and A-10 Tank Killer flying in the sky, Arkansas, USA

NASA's Super Guppy, carrying the Artemis I Orion crew module pressure vessel, departs New Orleans en route to Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 1, 2016. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

A view of a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft rolling down the runway after landing. The aircraft is assigned to the 319th Bomb Wing and is participating in exercise Busy Prairie II. Subject Operation/Series: BUSY PRAIRIE II Base: Biggs Army Air Field, El Paso State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A pilot performs for the Shaw Air & Space Expo at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, April 2, 2022. The Shaw Air & Space Expo featured 12 aerial acts and 10 static display aircraft, as well as other attractions and displays which attracted more than 55,000 guests to attend.

NASAs F/A-18 research aircraft takes off from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas for a quiet supersonic research flight off the coast of Galveston, as part of the QSF18 flight series. The F/A-18 will climb to 50,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico, where it will perform the quiet supersonic dive maneuver.

NASAs F/A-18 research aircraft takes off from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas for a quiet supersonic research flight off the coast of Galveston, as part of the QSF18 flight series. The F/A-18 will climb to 50,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico, where it will perform the quiet supersonic dive maneuver.

Lager von Windrad Flügeln wings of wind turbines stack in a harbor and ready for shipping and assembling Copyright: xZoonar.com/UwexMoserx 21803031

A U.S. Air Force T-38C Talon takes off.

F-16XL with Custom Paint

SR-71 and Crew

detail Turboprop Pilatus Fixed Wing Aviat Airplanes PC12 nose propeller

F/A-18 E/F Model 11ft. W.T. Test #207-1-11 (February and March)

Convair B 36 G Peacemaker Bomber at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

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

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

With its thermal-infared sensor pod under its left wing, NASA's Ikhana unmanned aircraft cruises over California during the Western States Fire Mission.

The unusual design of the Proteus high-altitude aircraft, incorporating a gull-wing shape for its main wing and a long, slender forward canard, is clearly visible in this view of the aircraft in flight over the Mojave Desert in California.

Su-33 jet fighter of the Russian Navy parked on tarmac.

A heritage flight consisting of a World War II-era P-51D Mustang and a modern U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor performs an aerial demonstration over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville, Ky., April 23, 2022 as part of the Thunder Over Louisville air show. This years event celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force.

An RQ-4 Global hawk Blcok 30 taxis to therunway for takeoff July 7, 2022, at Beale AirForce Base, California. This flight was the finalRQ-4 to depart Beale headed to Grand ForksAFB, N.D., to be divested and transferred toNorthrup Grumman.

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

USA, WA, Seattle, Museum of Flight

An Israeli Air Force Hermes 900 Kochav unmanned aerial vehicle taking off.

Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber, museum exhibit Poltava Ukraine

Boeing's X-48B Blended Wing Body technology demonstrator shows off its unique lines at sunset on Rogers Dry Lake adjacent to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. (Boeing photo # SMF06_F_KOEH_X48B-0900a)

Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber, museum exhibit Poltava Ukraine

The Helios Prototype aircraft at approximately 10,000 feet flying above cloud cover northwest of Kauai, Hawaii.

This front 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 to determine if it can safely manage maneuvers and proposed upgrades.

Detail of private jet landing gear

102 SSC2_No_Folder _31R

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels have arrived here and have started their orientation flights to prepare for the Smoky Mountain Air Show. The Air Show takes place September 10th-11th.

USA, Florida, Miami-area, Kendall, Wings Over Miami Air Museum at Tamiami Executive Airport, US-made A-26 bomber in anti-Castro Cuban markings as used during the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961.

Olaf Scholz, SPD, Chancellor, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, stealth fighter, International Aerospace Exhibition, ILA Berlin Air Show, Schoenefeld, Brandenburg, Germany, Europe

An Israeli Air Force Hermes 900 Kochav unmanned aerial vehicle on the tarmac.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Sep. 17, 2022)- An F/A-18 Super Hornet flies during the 2022 Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana Air Show. The NAS Oceana Air Show's theme was "Back to the Beach", as it has been two years since the last performance.

At the Air Force Week New York City proclamation ceremony, an SR-71 is on display from the USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum Aug. 24, 2010.

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing takes off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport during Polar Force 22-4 in Anchorage, Alaska, April 5, 2022. The F-22 performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, making it a vital tool to the 21st Century Air Force. The F-22's characteristics provide synergistic effects, increasing lethality against all advanced air threats.

NASA's Ikhana unmanned science demonstration aircraft over Southern California's high desert during the ferry flight to its new home at the Dryden Flight Research Center. NASA took possession of the new aircraft in November, 2006, and it arrived at DFRC at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on June 23, 2007.

Red Bull Airshow over Salzberg, Austria showing a de Havilland DH-110 Sea Vixen jet. The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen was a 1950-60s two-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm (the air wing of the Royal Navy). In flight flying

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

120417-N-EV723-002WASHINGTON (April 17, 2012) The space shuttle Discovery attached to its 747 transport passes over the nation's capital. It will land in Washington D.C. to become an exhibit at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Discovery, along with the rest of the shuttle fleet, has been retired from active service after 32 years of operations.

The X-56A flies a mission Oct. 23, 2018.

USA, Kansas, Wichita, Kansas Aviation Museum exterior with T-33 USAF trainer

A 147th Attack Wing MQ-9 Reaper taxis at Scholes International Airport in Galveston, Texas on January 10, 2024. The Wing tested satellite launch and recovery operations at Scholes International Airport in Galveston as part of its innovative approach to the Agile Combat Employment Concept.

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM, SEPTEMBER 27: Aircraft and artefacts in the War Remnants Museum. This is a popular tourist attraction on September 27, 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Vietnam

National Museum of Naval Aviation Pensacola, Florida

Allied Museum, Clayallee, Dahlem, Berlin, Germany, Europe

USA,California, Palm Springs, Palm Springs Air Museum, Jet

Four A-4 Skyhawk aircraft from the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team take off in formation during the air show. Base: Naval Air Station, Miramar State: California (CA) Country: United States Of America (USA)

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet US Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team plane 6 on take off

A Dassault Mirage 5F of the French Air Force at the start of the American NATO base Zweibrücken in West Germany.

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

040625-F-4116H-019. Base: Elmendorf Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

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.

DN-ST-89-07417. Base: Naval Air Station, Pensacola State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

An F-86L Sabre is displayed at the President George W. Bush Air Park at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Jan. 22, 2024. This F-86L was assigned to the 3554th Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron September 1957 to November 1960.

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels have arrived here and have started their orientation flights to prepare for the Smoky Mountain Air Show. The Air Show takes place September 10th-11th.

Military fighter jet in flying orientation mounted on stand on permanent display at entrance to city in South Korea

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Just at dawn, Steve Fossett (left) gets ready to climb into the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer parked on NASA Kennedy Space Centers Shuttle Landing Facility. Fossett will pilot the GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking attempt by flying solo, non-stop without refueling, to surpass the current record for the longest flight of any aircraft. This is the second attempt in two days after a fuel leak was detected Feb. 7. The expected time of takeoff is 7 a.m.

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