A military flyover is when military aircraft—such as jets, helicopters, or, in earlier times, blimps—fly in formation over a specific location as part of a ceremony, commemoration, or special event. These flights are usually carefully planned and coordinated with ground events, like parades, memorial ceremonies, or national celebrations.
On and around the National Mall, military aircraft have been used in symbolic ways. Below are images from the fly overs on the National Mall.
Willard R. Ross, Airplane Demonstration over Capitol, photograph, May 24, 1930, Willard R. Ross Postcard Collection, The People’s Archive, District of Columbia Public Library, Washington, DC. digdc.dclibrary.org/do/953d4db6-6f6c-4429-80c6-3425debaebae.
Lou Comeger, AV-8B Harrier II aircraft stands on the Mall as part of a static display of aircraft and weaponry used during Operation Desert Storm, photograph, June 6, 1991, Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files, RG330 'Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense', National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD. catalog.archives.gov/id/6462955.
[US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron ‘Blue Angels’ F-11/F-1 Tiger aircraft fly by the Washington Monument], photograph, circa 1957–1964, Kinescope Films, Records of the Naval Photographic Center, RG428 'General Records of the Department of the Navy', National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD. Reproduced from Heather Sulier, “Take Flight with the Blue Angels,” The Unwritten Record [National Archives blog], September 25, 2024, unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2024/09/25/take-flight-with-the-blue-angels.
David S. Tucker, Lincoln Memorial from atop the Washington Monument. Two Apache helicopters hover above the Memorial as part of the flyover for the American Reunion on the Mall Celebrations, photograph, January 17, 1993, Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files, RG330, NARA, College Park, MD. catalog.archives.gov/id/6481068.
John Leehouts, An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft of Strike Fighter Squadron 136 (VFA-136) flies by the Washington Monument, photograph, August 3, 1992, Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files, RG330 'Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense', National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD. catalog.archives.gov/id/6476848.
Mickey Sanborn, F-4 Phantom II aircraft pass by the Washington Monument in a missing man formation during the dedication day parade for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photograph, November 13, 1982, Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files, RG330 'Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense', NARA, College Park, MD. catalog.archives.gov/id/6375682.
Phantom II During Kennedy Inauguration Day Parade, photograph, January 20, 1961, General Black-and-White Photographic File of the Department of Navy, RG428 'General Records of the Department of the Navy', National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD. catalog.archives.gov/id/218517946.
Ken Hammond, An E-4B National Emergency Airborne Command Post aircraft in-flight over the Washington Monument, photograph, May 1, 1988, Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files, RG330 'Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense', National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD. catalog.archives.gov/id/6436955.
Ken Hammond, An air-to-air left side view of a UH-1N Iroquois helicopter of the 1st Helicopter Squadron flying past the Washington Monument, photograph, May 1, 1988, Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files, RG330 'Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense', National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD. catalog.archives.gov/id/6436950.
Harris & Ewing, U.S. Army Blimp Landing at the Washington Monument, 1932, photograph, Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. loc.gov/item/2016879477.
Harris & Ewing, Navy ZR-1 Airship flying over the Lincoln Memorial, September 22, 1923, photograph, Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. loc.gov/item/2016892656.
United States Coast Guard, Airplane flyover signaling the beginning of inaugural parade, photograph, January 20, 1949, Photographs Relating to the Administration, Family, and Personal Life of Harry S. Truman, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, National Archives and Records Administration, Independence, MO. catalog.archives.gov/id/343788663.
Abbie Rowe, National Park Service, Air Force Flyover During Kennedy Funeral, photograph, November 25, 1963, Photographs Relating to the Administration, Family, and Personal Life of Harry S. Truman, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, National Archives and Records Administration, Independence, MO. catalog.archives.gov/id/338959560.
Bernardo Fuller, [B-24 Liberators during Arsenal of Democracy Flyover event on the seventieth anniversary of V-E Day, with Arts of War statue in foreground], 𝘋𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 (𝘋𝘝𝘐𝘋𝘚), May 08, 2015. dvidshub.net/image/1923427/arsenal-democracy-flyover.
Keith James, [USAF Thunderbirds fly over the National Mall in advance of the Joint Base Andrews Airshow taking place that weekend], Defense Visual Information Service (DVIDS), September 12, 2025. dvidshub.net/image/9312847/thunderbirds-soar-over-national-mall.
Victoria Kinney, [Naval Aircrewman Helicopter 2nd Class Shea Ross looks out from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter over the Mall], Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), July 3, 2017. dvidshub.net/image/4537262/180703-n-xp344-0083.
Daekwon Stith, [A UH-1N Huey helicopter from the 1st Helicopter squadron flies over the National Mall during Vietnam Veterans' "Welcome Home" Ceremony], Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), May 13, 2023. dvidshub.net/image/7799328/316th-wing-honors-vietnam-veterans-dc-welcome-home-ceremony.
Micha R. Pierce, [An MV-22 Osprey flies over the Mall at the start of the 40th Marine Corps Marathon], Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), October 25, 2015. dvidshub.net/image/2269331/40th-annual-marine-corps-marathon.
Christopher Bokum, “Coast Guard Air Station Washington conducts formation exercise”, Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), July 18, 2024. dvidshub.net/image/8547248/coast-guard-air-station-washington-conducts-formation-exercise.