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Canada and U.S. Jets Stage Joint Fly‑Past Over Ottawa for Fourth of July

Officials described the aerial display as a NORAD demonstration reaffirming continental air defence.

Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds and a CF-18 Hornet fly over Parliament Hill during a flypast celebrating the RCAF centennial on Canada Day in Ottawa, on Monday, July 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
U.S. Air Force F-35s and Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s perform a flypast over Lornado, the official residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Canada in Ottawa during an Independence Day party marking 250 years of U.S. independence, on Saturday, July 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Overview

  • Two Canadian CF-18 Hornets and two U.S. F-35 Lightning II jets performed a ceremonial fly‑past over Ottawa on Saturday evening, with the display expected around 6:30 p.m. ET.
  • Canada’s Department of National Defence said the short formation flight was meant to show routine interoperability under the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD.
  • Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a statement praising Canada–U.S. friendship and calling the partnership a “monument to peace,” while King Charles III also released congratulatory remarks about allied ties.
  • The fly‑past was one element of a wider Canadian commemorative package that includes a gift of 250 maple trees for Washington, D.C. and the 13 border states, illumination of Niagara Falls in red, white and blue, and Canadian naval visits to Sail250 ports.
  • The display highlights practical military cooperation and public diplomacy at a time when Canada is reviewing its planned F-35 purchases and aims to show sustained continental defence ties and visible goodwill with U.S. partners.