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NASA Photographer Captures Images from F-18 Over Washington

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Jul 10, 2026 - 17:15

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NASA Photographer Captures Images from F-18 Over Washington

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A man in a tan flight suit, flight gear, and helmet takes a photo with a camera over his left shoulder inside of a jet aircraft. The red and white wings of the aircraft are seen to the sides of the man. A second jet aircraft with red, white and blue paint is seen to the right of the frame. There are buildings and grassy areas below the two aircraft.

NASA photographer Jim Ross flies above the Washington Monument in Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in an F-18 aircraft, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover.

NASA/Jim Ross

NASA flight photographers capture history from a perspective few ever experience, getting a rare bird’s-eye view of the agency’s missions in action. Their photos document key NASA research and give the public a front-row seat to the work happening behind the scenes.

Jim Ross, a photographer at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew over Washington during the Fourth of July celebration to document a NASA flyover commemorating America’s 250th birthday. He’s captured some of the agency’s most exhilarating milestones, like early SR-71 flights, the delivery flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour to Los Angeles, and first flights of NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft.

“I grew up in Bozeman, Montana, when it was still considered a small town, so if someone told that little kid that he would be flying in a F-18 over the National Mall, he would have never believed it,” Ross said. “I love documenting history, and having the opportunity to capture flights and launches has kept me doing it for almost 37 years.”

Ross began his aviation photography career in 1989 when he joined the staff at NASA Armstrong (then Dryden). He became the photo lead in 1997, a title he retains.

Check out his images from the flyover here: https://www.nasa.gov/gallery/freedom-250/

A photographer takes a selfie from the rear seat of a jet aircraft during flight, with another jet visible through the window.

NASA photographer Jim Ross takes a selfie from the rear seat of a NASA F/A‑18 during a cross‑country flight from Spokane, Washington, to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The agency’s F‑15, flying alongside the aircraft, is visible through the window. Both aircraft, from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, participated in the Freedom 250 flyover with other NASA and military aircraft on Saturday, July 4, 2026.

NASA/Jim Ross

A man in a tan flight suit, flight gear, and helmet looks outside of a jet aircraft cockpit window while holding a camera. One other jet aircraft is seen outside of the cockpit window in the background.

NASA photographer Jim Ross flies above Washington on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in an F-18 aircraft, as part of a flyover to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This aircraft is from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it joined other NASA aircraft for the flyover. A NASA F-15 is seen flying to the side of the NASA F-18.

NASA/Jim Ross