One of the longest and most treasured traditions in the State of Israel is the annual Air Force flyby across the length and breadth of the country on Independence Day.
On this Independence Day, the flyby began in the northern city of Tiberias on Lake Kinneret and ended in Eilat, Israel’s southernmost tip, on the Gulf of Aqaba — from the north to the south, east to west, the Air Force didn’t miss a mile, making sure every Israeli could enjoy the show.
The flight path took the pilots over Ramat David and Tel Nof, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and all other major cities, as well as communities along the Gaza border. Thousands of Israelis and tourists on the beaches along the coast lifted their eyes to the sky to watch the aircraft rush past.
Among the performers were Israel’s new F-35 Adir stealth fighter jets, its elite F-16 and F-15 combat fighter planes, as well as the Boeing 707, Super Hercules, the Gulfstream and some of its more historic aircraft, which fly each year.