If your first reaction is “I thought they were all in the Middle East” — that’s a reasonable assumption, and not a wrong one.

by Compass Vermont

The Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing will fly four F-35A Lightning II jets over 18 communities across Vermont and New York on Friday, July 4 — the fourth year running for the Independence Day tradition, and this year tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Passes are timed to line up with local holiday celebrations, running from about 11:00 a.m. to 12:19 p.m.

If your first reaction is I thought they were all in the Middle East — that’s a reasonable assumption, and not a wrong one. Roughly 1,000 Vermont Air Guard members and about a dozen of the wing’s F-35s mobilized under federal orders in December 2025, went first to the Caribbean and then directly to the Middle East. As of this announcement, commander Col. Michael Blair says “many of our Airmen remain deployed overseas.”

But a fighter wing is larger than the slice it sends downrange. The Vermont Air National Guard has 20 aircraft assigned and well over a thousand personnel. The deployment took about 12 jets and roughly 1,000 members, leaving a home-station element in South Burlington that has kept flying and training throughout. That’s the element behind Tuesday’s four-ship pass. Put plainly: the jets you’ll see over your parade are the ones that stayed; the deployed contingent is still abroad.

Blair framed this year’s flight around the semiquincentennial. “This is our way of honoring 250 years of American service, sacrifice, and freedom,” he said. He also tied it to the deployment: “Even as we mark this historic anniversary at home, many of our Airmen remain deployed overseas. This flyover is also a tribute to them, their families, and every Vermonter who continues to serve our nation at home and abroad.”

Approximate flyover schedule (subject to change):

• 11:00 — Randolph, VT
• 11:02 — Warren, VT
• 11:06 — Essex, NY
• 11:09 — Colchester, VT
• 11:10 — Milton, VT
• 11:12 — Jeffersonville, VT
• 11:14 — Morristown, VT
• 11:17 — Cabot, VT
• 11:22 — Fairlee, VT
• 11:25 — Hartford, VT
• 11:26 — Quechee, VT
• 11:28 — Plymouth, VT
• 11:35 — Brattleboro, VT
• 11:38 — Whitingham, VT
• 11:41 — Bennington, VT
• 11:57 — White Lake, NY
• 12:08 — Brant Lake, NY
• 12:19 — Plattsburgh, NY

Flyover locations and times are approximate and subject to change, per the Vermont Air National Guard.