Travelers from across the country stood awestruck on the National Mall as military helicopters and fighter jets soared over revelers during the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration Saturday.
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Ospreys flew in formation just past the Mall, while F-18s performed stunts that left thousands of spectators taking in the aerial acrobatics.
“I have been out every 10 or 15 minutes filming a flyover,” Colorado native Alisa Champa said as jet engines roared overhead.
The mother of three said her family had been planning the trip to Washington for a year, and the former airline employee said she loved taking in the performances that will continue into late Saturday night.
Ms. Champa wasn’t alone.
Chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A” and exclamations of “That’s what freedom sounds like” were heard when the jets cut across the sky.
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Alan Long, a Baltimore resident who immigrated to the U.S. from China 20 years ago, said the flyovers were the best part about the Great American State Fair.
He said the air show offered a nice distraction from the intense heat that was blazing the fairgrounds.
Afternoon highlights included the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds, while the evening will feature flyovers from Air Force One and parts of the military’s stealth fleet.
The flyover schedule will go right up until the fireworks show, scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m., with the F-22 Raptor, B-1 bomber and an Army Golden Knights parachute jump at dusk rounding out the festivities.
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