F-4 Fighter Does a Barrel Roll Around a Soviet Bomber

In December 2017, a blurry photograph of an Air Force F-4 Phantom flying upside down in an intercept mission on a Russian Bear Tu-95 went viral. This stunt bewildered its viewers. The feat was dangerous enough, but performing it near one of the Soviet Union’s favorite strategic bombers was even more perplexing. Fortunately, Robert Sihler, the photographer, still remembers the story behind the stunt.