Fourth of July festivities are well underway across the United States, with celebrations happening from coast-to-coast to mark the country’s 250th birthday. In major cities like New York and the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., massive lineups of military flyover performances are underway, sending fighter jets, bombers, and demonstration teams soaring over crowds of thousands gathered along the Hudson River and National Mall.

Elsewhere, others are celebrating in the skies with flight path art outlining etching the outline of the country in the sky. On the commercial side, over half a dozen airlines have introduced commemorative America250 liveries, including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Air, and more. Taken together, here are some of aviation’s most notable celebrations in honor of America’s 250th birthday.

Jaw-Dropping Flyovers Just Hundreds Of Feet Over New York

Credit: Jasper Yu-Dawidowicz | Simple Flying

The skies over New York City and Washington DC were electric this morning, with ceremonial military flyovers occurring over the USA’s largest city earlier today and continuing above the nation’s capital throughout the afternoon. In New York City, the city hosted a spectacular military flyover and parade of tall ships up the Hudson River in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The morning featured flyovers of more than 100 aircraft from across the globe, including ones from countries like the UK and Spain.

Headlining the festivities were the US Navy Blue Angels aerial demonstration team, a group featuring six F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, who completed the first low pass over the Hudson River just a few hundred feet from thousands of spectators lined along the riverbanks in Manhattan and New Jersey. Dozens of other air groups followed one after another, including formations of F-35 Raptors, F-22 Raptors, V-22 Ospreys, Lockheed C-130 Hercules, E-2 Hawkeyes, KC-135 Stereotanker, B-1 and B-2 stealth bombers, numerous Eurofighter Typhoons and countless others.

Washington D.C.: A Nine-Hour Aerial Celebration 250 Years In The Making

Credit: Shutterstock

In Washington D.C., the “Salute to America 250” program has been billed as the largest aerial celebration in the country’s history with aerial demonstrations scheduled from afternoon until sunset. The lineup includes feature performances from the Blue Angels, US Air Force Thunderbirds, and a 7pm flyover from Air Force One. Those in the nation’s capital will also be able to see an V-22 Osprey demonstration, US NavyF-35C flyover, F-22 Raptor demonstration, Golden Knights Twilight Jump and multiple other fleet reviews from the Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard throughout the afternoon.

The Thunderbirds’ performance is perhaps the most anticipated performance of the evening, with eight of the Thunderbirds’ signature blue F-16 fighters preparing to take to the skies over the National Mall for a shortened version of their usual 36-minute demonstration. These celebrations have been building for weeks leading up to July 4th in Washington DC. In mid-June, the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flew together in a rare 12-plane “Super Delta” formation over the Ellipse, and later that month a B-2 Spirit Bomber led four F-35As over the National Mall to open the Great American State Fair. All of it unfolds against a brutal heat advisory, with temperatures pushing past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), prompting organizers to adjust gate times and expand water stations for the crowds gathering to watch.

Due to the festivities, Washington D.C.’s closest airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, is shutting down operations for the entire afternoon and evening, with the no-fly zone around the nation’s capital already in effect. With the aforementioned flyovers and aerial demonstrations listed above, airlines have already adjusted their schedules with operations resuming early tomorrow morning.

Celebrating USA 250 With A Map Etched In The Sky

Credit: Flightradar24

On the morning of July 3rd, a pilot operating a Cessna 182 Skylane celebrated America’s 250th birthday with an impressive feat from the skies. In a six-hour journey crisscrossing the northern part of Ohio, the pilot used their flight path to draw a unique design in the sky. The finished route, tracked and shared widely on Flightradar24, created the outline of the contiguous United States with the phrase “USA 250th” etched in the center, transforming a routine stretch of airspace between Toledo and Cleveland into a unique piece of aerial art celebrating America’s semiquincentennial.

Departing at 10:11am from Norwalk-Huron County Airport in northern Ohio, the pilot took off toward the west to begin tracing the letters of the USA 250th decal before spending roughly two and a half hours completing the outline of the country itself. The flight was completed at 10,000 feet with ground speeds alternating between 90 knots and over 160 knots for most of the flight.

As for the aircraft itself, the 45-year-old Cessna 182 is registered as N4936T (serial number R18201794) and has an owner listed as Dakma, LLC of Parma, Ohio. This model specifically features retractable landing gear and a fuel tank capacity of 85 gallons, equating to roughly six to eight hours of cruise under standard operating practices.

Beautiful Ceremonial Aircraft Liveries On Over A Half-Dozen US Airlines

Credit: United Airlines

Commercial airlines across the US have gotten in on the celebration too, with many unveiling statement America250 liveries on their aircraft. Arguably the two airlines with the best paint jobs are Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. In April, Southwest debuted its incredible-looking “Independence One,” a brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft ceremonially registered as N1776R and decorated from head-to-tail in red, white and blue. The forward part of the aircraft has the year 1776 written in quill script, along with 13 stars across the length of the fuselage, paying homage to the original 13 states. On the back half of the plane, the quote “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” is inscribed, referencing one of the most famous passages from the Declaration of Independence.

United too went all out on their America250 livery, with both a Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 787-10 adorned with a “Stars and Stripes” livery. Both aircraft feature identical designs, with a deep blue color covering the base of the aircraft, red and white stripes lining the aft fuselage and 50 stars lining the tail section, representing every US state across the country. The two aircraft, the 737-800 registered as N78285 and the 787-10 registered as N91007, also carry commemorative plaques dedicated to United’s active-duty service members and veterans.

Elsewhere across the country, Allegiant Air recently finished its America250 paint job on one of its Boeing 737 aircraft. Introduced on the eve of the Fourth, Allegiant’s new livery has curved red and white stripes along the aft fuselage and 13 white stars on both engines. Below the tail, the airline inscribed the phrase “Everything AMERICA since 1776.” Several other airlines, including JetBlue and American Airlines also unveiled special aircraft designs, while Delta Air Lines went for a more subtle decal on the side of one of its Boeing 757-200 aircraft.