People across Washington, D.C., and parts of Colorado can expect busy skies on the Fourth of July as military aircraft take part in America 250 celebrations. In the nation’s capital, spectators will see a full day of flyovers featuring Air Force One, the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, F-22 Raptors and B-1 bombers. Meanwhile, Colorado residents will have a chance to watch Colorado Air National Guard F-16 fighter jets fly over communities from the Front Range to the Western Slope. Officials have released detailed schedules for both events, giving spectators a better idea of when to look up.
Washington, D.C. flyover schedule
The biggest aerial celebration is taking place over the National Mall and Washington Monument grounds. According to schedules released by Freedom 250 and reported by WTOP and NBC Washington, the July 4 program begins shortly after 1 p.m. and continues into the night.
Some of the most anticipated events include:
- 4:59 p.m. – U.S. Navy Blue Angels
- 5:26 p.m. – MV-22 Osprey demonstration
- 6:02 p.m. – U.S. Air Force Tri-Bomber Formation
- 6:05 p.m. – U.S. Navy F-35C demonstration
- 6:25 p.m. – U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration
- 7:03 p.m. – Air Force One flyover
- 7:38 p.m. – U.S. Stealth Airpower flyover
- 7:39 p.m. – F-22 Raptor demonstration
- 7:59 p.m. – B-1 bomber flyover
- 8:22 p.m. – Golden Knights Twilight Jump
- 10:36 p.m. – B-1 Afterburner Night Pass
The schedule also includes multiple fleet reviews from the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard throughout the afternoon.
Also Read: America’s 250th Birthday: What’s the astrological significance of this historic day?
Full National Mall flyover schedule for July 4
The official Freedom 250 schedule lists the following flyovers and demonstrations:
- 1:14 p.m. – NASA F-5 Flyover
- 1:24 p.m. – NASA Fleet Review
- 1:44 p.m. – Coast Guard helicopter flyover
- 1:54 p.m. – Coast Guard fixed-wing flyover
- 2:09 p.m. – Golden Knights and Leap Frogs
- 2:29 p.m. – Army helicopter flyover
- 2:44 p.m. – Air Force Fleet Review (Heavies)
- 2:54 p.m. – Air Force Fleet Review (AFSOC)
- 3:04 p.m. – Air Force Fleet Review (Fighters)
- 3:29 p.m. – Executive Rotary Wing Airlift
- 3:39 p.m. – Marine Corps Fleet Review (Rotary)
- 3:49 p.m. – Marine Corps Fleet Review (Fixed Wing)
- 3:59 p.m. – Navy Fleet Review (Rotary)
- 4:09 p.m. – Navy Fleet Review (Fixed Wing)
- 4:19 p.m. – Navy Fleet Review (Fighters)
- 4:21 p.m. – Navy F-18F demonstration
Additional demonstrations continue through the evening before the fireworks show later at night.
Colorado flyover schedule for Independence Day
Away from Washington, Colorado residents will get their own Independence Day flyover. According to the Colorado Air National Guard, Fighting Falcon F-16 aircraft will depart from Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora around 10:30 a.m. Saturday. The statewide route is expected to continue until about noon.
The annual tradition is part of celebrations marking the nation’s 250th birthday and will take the aircraft over communities across Colorado.
The estimated Colorado F-16 flyover schedule is:
- 10:47 a.m. – Castle Rock
- 10:52 a.m. – Columbine Valley
- 10:55 a.m. – Westminster
- 10:58 a.m. – Firestone
- 11:01 a.m. – Loveland
- 11:10 a.m. – Grand Lake
- 11:14 a.m. – Granby
- 11:20 a.m. – Vail
- 11:27 a.m. – Crested Butte
- 11:36 a.m. – Ouray
- 11:42 a.m. – Silverton
- 11:45 a.m. – Lake City
Officials noted that the Ouray flyover could be affected by wildfire-related flight restrictions in the area.
Also Read: Is Chick-fil-A open on 4th of July? Here’s what’s open and closed – All on banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx
How to track Air Force One and Blue Angels flyovers?
Spectators in Washington can also use the newly launched Fourth of July Fly Over app. Fox News reported that the tool was created by senior White House official Shawn Chittle and includes a countdown timer connected to the official flight schedule. Users can adjust the timing if aircraft are running early or late and view photos and information about the planes participating in the event.
With military aircraft scheduled to appear throughout the day in both Washington and Colorado, spectators will have several chances to catch some of the country’s most recognizable aircraft in the sky.
