Isaacman Flew F-5 In July 4 Flyover After FAA Denial

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman flew a Northrop F-5 Tiger II during the Fourth of July flyover over Washington, D.C., after the FAA had denied a request to include four of the aircraft in the event, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The flyover later proceeded after Isaacman said the aircraft had been placed under NASA control, moving the operation outside the civil exemption request.

FAA Cited Safety Concerns

The Journal reported that a representative for Isaacman asked the FAA in late June to allow four 1970s-era F-5s to take part in the air show over the National Mall. The FAA denied the request June 30, citing concerns about the aircraft, ejection systems, prior accidents and potential risk to people and property on the ground. The denial was signed by Hugh Thomas, a senior FAA official in the agency’s flight standards division, according to the report.

Isaacman Cited Government Aircraft Rules

Isaacman told The Wall Street Journal there was no question that the flyover could be conducted safely. He cited the F-5’s history of use and the number of aircraft still operating worldwide, and said the issue stemmed from a misunderstanding over how the aircraft should have been classified for the event. According to Isaacman, the aircraft should have been classified as government aircraft instead of civilian aircraft, which prompted the FAA review.

Isaacman told the Journal that he had placed the aircraft under NASA control before the flyover, though the aircraft titles had not been transferred. The FAA said it had conducted a standard review of privately owned experimental aircraft before they came under government ownership. FAA records showed Isaacman’s company, JDI Holdings, listed as owner of three of the F-5s, while a separate entity owned the fourth.

Passengers Were Planned, Report Says

“It never should have been a civil operation from the get go,” Isaacman told The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal also reported that Isaacman had initially planned to carry passengers during the flight, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House officials, but those rides were canceled. Isaacman’s F-5 was part of a larger flyover that included a range of U.S. military aircraft during the Fourth of July event.