Photos of the Week: Jump Jets

From World War II-era bombers to the President of the United States, Allegheny County Airport (AGC) has received its share of noteworthy visitors. But this weekend, it may have hosted one of the rarest aircraft to ever touch down at the airport.

On Saturday, the usual sounds of small single-engine Cessnas, turboprops and business jets taking off and landing at AGC were broken up by the thunderous roar and distinctive whine of two AV-8B Harrier jets of the U.S. Marine Corps.

A British-designed attack aircraft adopted by the U.S. in the 1980s, the Harrier is famous for its vertical and short takeoff and landing (V/STOVL) capabilities. Harriers can operate from short runways or in austere environments, including the decks of massive warships at sea. Using rotating nozzles that direct the aircraft’s 31,000 pounds of maximum thrust, the Harrier can transition from vertically taking off like a helicopter to zipping through the air at a top speed of 630 mph.

The two Harriers that visited AGC belong to Marine squadron VMA-223 “Bulldogs,” based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina. They were using AGC to conduct flight training operations away from their home station.

The Harriers taxied from a parking spot past AGC’s main terminal building, the whine of each aircraft’s Rolls Royce Pegasus engine getting louder the closer the jets got to an excited crowd.

The Harriers took to AGC’s Runway 28 for a westbound departure, the lead spooling up its engine before accelerating down the runway for a short field takeoff, leaving a big dust trail created from the immense thrust of the aircraft’s nozzles.

In just moments, the first Harrier was airborne. Seconds later, the next Harrier leapt out of the first jet’s dust cloud and off the runway, quickly catching up in formation as both aircraft made an eastbound turn over downtown Pittsburgh.

Within an hour, the Harriers returned to AGC with an airfield flyover in tight formation, before breaking away to line up and land.

Later in the day, the Harriers repeated their thrilling departure to head back to their home base in North Carolina.

The Harriers may never again visit AGC.

As of October, VMA-223 is one of two remaining Harrier squadrons in the Marines. The Marines are slated to retire Harriers from active service in 2026 and replace them with the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter, also capable of the V/STOVL mission.

If you were among the spectators fortunate to watch the Harriers at AGC this weekend, we’d love to see your photos! Our readers continue to pass along shots of unique aircraft, international airports, historical events, gorgeous views and even family vacation photos for this feature. To find out more, click here for photo submission guidelines.