PHOTO: West Seattle Fourth of July flyover

Thanks to Steven Rice for the photo of the two fighter jets that flew over north West Seattle about an hour ago – F/A-18s as identified by the photographer, a texter, and image search. While we haven’t been able to find confirmation of this, it seemed likely to have been a Mariners flyover, since their game started just after 1 pm. (Anyone reading this at the ballpark who can confirm?)

29 Replies to "PHOTO: West Seattle Fourth of July flyover"

  • Rhonda July 4, 2025 (2:11 pm)

    Those two were parked at Boeing Field yesterday. Go Navy! ⚓🇺🇲

  • Emily July 4, 2025 (2:28 pm)

    Yep there was a flyover at the mariners game 

    • WSB July 4, 2025 (2:38 pm)

      Thanks!

  • Scarlett July 4, 2025 (2:57 pm)

    I’ll take my baseball without any reminders of the military industrial complex, the state within the state.   There used to be a time when conservatives didn’t just talk about a government “small enough to drown in a bathtub,” but, you know,  actually believed it. 

    • Martha July 4, 2025 (3:45 pm)

      I’m with you! 

      • Emily July 4, 2025 (4:07 pm)

        Same lol, I’m going to Canada for the weekend of Seafair cause I can’t relax all weekend because a jet might fly directly over my building. Cant even take a nap

    • L July 4, 2025 (4:03 pm)

      The Navy aviators aren’t conservative, the military/ service members are apolitical. Happy 4th of July.

    • Burgerman July 4, 2025 (5:39 pm)

      YAWN. You again with this opinion?

      The flyovers should continue, even if they’re an ironic reminder that we need to fight to maintain our freedom from tyranny.

      • KT July 5, 2025 (9:07 am)

        Sadly, the enemy we are currently fighting is from within (domestic): the tyrant occupying the White House who is the same person authorizing these flyovers. God Help Us All.

  • Jen July 4, 2025 (4:33 pm)

    I was so excited to see them when I was out for a walk today!!❤️

  • WSzombie July 4, 2025 (5:12 pm)

    That flyover is the sound of freedom. The fear-inducing thunder that ends the threat of America having nuclear bombs dropped on innocent civilians. God bless the men and women fighting to protect all of us. Everyone appreciates you, even the ones who won’t admit it. 🇺🇸 

    • Jethro Marx July 4, 2025 (11:07 pm)

      I love fancy planes but if you think inducing fear will set us free you are sadly misguided. Furthermore, our country has never been credibly considered as a nuclear target, whereas we alone have targeted another country with nuclear weapons packages. I would like to believe you have thought about this, but I know nuance and pop patriotism are uneasy bedfellows.

    • Vic July 6, 2025 (9:03 am)

  • Logan July 4, 2025 (5:53 pm)

    These are EA-18G Growlers (a variety of F/A-18 Super Hornet) that have special equipment for Electrinic warfare such as radar jamming. These guys i believe belong to the squadron VAQ-129 “The Vikings” stationed at NAS Whidbey Island

  • Big Beautiful Bart July 4, 2025 (6:09 pm)

    I can’t get enough of the sound of freedom! Military men and women flew a dangerous mission over Iran last week and literally saved future generations of humanity.  God bless them. 

  • Scarlett July 4, 2025 (6:13 pm)

    “Yeah, and they said sweeteners were safe, there were WMD’s in Iraq and Anna Nicole married for love.”  

    – Levon Helms,  playing Mr. Rate, in the film “Shooter” (with Mark Wahlberg)

  • Scarlett July 4, 2025 (7:08 pm)

    Protection from what?  Given our history of illegal, unecessary wars that have claimed the lives of thousands of American soldiers, or wounded them mentally and physically,  don’t you wonder how much of this imperial strutting around the world is necessary?   Given our history in Iraq and the WMD falsehood, does it ever cross your mind that maybe Iran doesn’t really pose the threat to this country it is claimed to be?  Good grief,  give the cliches and platitudes a rest. 

    • Rhonda July 4, 2025 (7:42 pm)

      As someone who has been deployed to Iraq I can tell you, Scarlett, that you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.

    • T Rex July 4, 2025 (10:33 pm)

      Do a history lesson about Iran Scarlett, specifically 1979. And ask or read about women in Iran and how they live and their rights of which there are none. Why do you live in the US if you think we are such a horrible country?  I’ve seen posts from you several times regarding our police, and our military in the past.  I hope you one day will realize how lucky we are to live here. We are not perfect, but you should thank all the folks who give back to protect and serve. 
      Like the ones we celebrate today.

      • Scarlett July 5, 2025 (11:51 am)

        The irony.   Do yourself a favor and read about the US and sidekick, Britain’s  intervention in Iran in the 1950’s to overthrow democratically elected PM Mossadegh.   Do you have any idea at all the dozens and dozens of countries we’ve intervened in, either openly or covertly, since the Korean War?  I mean, all this information is literally at your fingertips. 

    • WSzombie July 4, 2025 (11:23 pm)

      If you don’t think Iran is a threat to the US, you don’t understand that country. Their leader AND primary religion believe it is God’s will for all Americans to die. So yeah, that makes them a threat we need protected from. 

      • Scarlett July 5, 2025 (11:33 am)

        I think sycophants who lap up everything their dear leader tells them are a much greater threat to my liberty right now.  

  • bradley July 4, 2025 (9:09 pm)

    Q:  Tower, permission to buzz West Seattle.T:  Permission granted.  Thank you for your service,A:  Tower, it is my honor to Protect and Serve. BTW, that’s someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, aunt or uncle.  Just say thank you.

  • WSEnvironmentalist July 4, 2025 (9:28 pm)

    Is this a stock pic or did Steven take this?  Why are the tail hooks deployed?  My grandfather served in France during WWI and my dad served on a destroyer in the Pacific during WWII.  Thank you to all of the service people who protect us especially those that put themselves in harm’s way sitting a top rockets.  Dr Strangelove (1964 – Kubrick) and Fail Safe (1964 – Lummet) are good July 4th movies.

    • WSB July 4, 2025 (9:43 pm)

      Steven is a photographer. Don’t know about the tailhooks.

  • Dad July 5, 2025 (6:24 am)

    We watched our child’s plane fly over the stadium yesterday afternoon awash in a mix of parental pride, and also patriotic angst, over many of the concerns found in these comments. It might surprise those expressing what appear to be polar opposite views here, that many of us associated with the military community (aka industrial complex) share those same concerns. We are, after all, the ones with the most to lose when “pop patriotism” leads to the folly of “illegal, unnecessary” conflict (if you discount the multiple factor of overseas civilian ‘collateral’ casualties). Many of our tip-of-the-spear aviators also share such concerns, and count on their fellow citizens to elect mature, responsible, morally fit persons to make the decisions that affect us all.

    • PlaneSpotter July 5, 2025 (2:26 pm)

      Thanks, Dad. Any chance you know when they’re flying out? My own kids and I are hoping to watch. Thanks to your son for his service; we share the angst, the awe, and many other nuanced opinions, but we like the planes, and we use the occasions to have great discussions about politics and human rights and war.

  • Scarlett July 5, 2025 (11:25 am)

    If you haven’t thus far, I recommend some of you jingoistic flag-waving types watch the Mark Wahlberg movie, “Shooter.”   There is a famous line in the film delivered by the great Levon Helms (recently deceased, sadly) that pretty much encapsulates the skepticism that you should have when a government,  any government, tells you what’s best for you and the country.

    • Big 5 Guy July 5, 2025 (4:59 pm)

      Or, you could stop insulting people on the WSB with your name-calling, Scarlett.

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