NASA F-15 and F-18 Soar Above Washington to Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday

NASA test pilot Jim “Clue” Less completes pre‑flight checks on a NASA F‑15 in Spokane, Washington, on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, displays new red, white, and blue paint to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and was preparing to fly cross‑country to Washington, D.C., where it participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026. NASA/Jim Ross