Fleet Week in San Francisco, for many of us, is the best city weekend of the year. In addition to the Blue Angels as the main event, there are many more activities for those of us who love things that move. True to its name, Fleet Week sees the U.S. Navy bringing ships such as amphibious carriers, cutters, destroyers, and cruisers, all available to tour during the week.
While these ships are hugely impressive, my personal favorites are the air shows that happen on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The aircraft showcased this year included the United 777, USCG C-27J Spartan and two MH-65 Eurocopter Dolphins, the Patriots Jet Team consisting of six L-39 Albatrosses, USAF F-22 demo, P-51 Mustang, two T-33s, USMC F-35B demo, two Su-26s, the U.S. Navy C-130 Fat Albert, and six Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets.
I was able to watch all of the air shows and am giving you a rundown here in case you missed it.
The air show began on Friday with the United 777 flying over the Golden Gate Bridge (at an elevation of 1,000 ft) from the west, swooping down over Marina Green (200 ft), ascending and turning north over Alcatraz, flying back to Marina Green (with the landing gear down for us to admire), flying straight over the city, and finally turning back west to end the demonstration. The 777 is spectacular to watch because it’s amazing how an aircraft of that size can maneuver in such a way. The 777 can hold 301-368 passengers.
The next event was the Coast Guard (USCG) demonstration. A C-27J (dual-engine cargo plane) flew in formation with two other USCG MH-65s (the Coast Guard’s main helicopters, often flying over the city). It’s cool to see helicopters flying with a large airplane.
After the USCG demo came the Patriots L-39s. Their event was similar to the Blue Angels, but with different aircraft and not as impressive in terms of precision. These jets fly all around the city with smoke trails in red, white, and blue.
Following the Albatrosses, an F-22 Raptor gave an amazing demonstration of its maneuverability. The F-22 demo was mainly centered around Marina Green but also flew a bit around the city. The F-22 is a fifth-generation fighter and is unique because of its thrust vectoring capabilities. Thrust vectoring is when the turbofans (the engines) rotate and move in the direction the pilot wants. This allows the aircraft to turn quickly and maneuver easily in the case of a dogfight.
While the F-22 was flying, a P-51 Mustang (WWII fighter) joined it. These two aircraft flew a Heritage Flight together around the city, demonstrating how far fighter aircraft have come since WWII.
The T-33s flew afterward. These are trainer jets that perform simple aerobatics around the city.
Another fifth-generation fighter, the USMC F-35B—a STOVL (short takeoff and vertical landing) fighter jet—flew after the T-33s. This plane did not fly over the city; it flew only over the bay in front of Marina Green, where it showed off its maneuverability and—best of all—its hovering capability. The jet hovered around 100 feet over the bay. It was amazing to watch a 60,000 lb airplane hover in the air like a helicopter!
After the amazing STOVL plane, a couple of Sukhoi Su-26s (mid-wing aerobatic planes) flew mostly over the northern bay but also briefly over the city. These stunt planes performed really cool aerobatics together.
Nicknamed Fat Albert, the Blue Angels’ C-130 swooped down from the south, flying over Van Ness Street after the Sukhois. The C-130 is a large and common cargo plane that flies in all U.S. military branches. It is a very common plane among many countries’ militaries.
Last but not least, the six F/A-18 Blue Angels Super Hornets performed the most precise fighter jet aerobatics and are the most exciting for me. They start by taking off from Oakland International, then fly far north, nearly to Richmond, and then turn 180 degrees to the southwest. From there, they fly directly over Marina Green and turn in opposite directions. That’s how you know the show has started. The jets fly in one group of four and two individuals for 45 minutes, ending in the same way they started. Once all spread out, they fly back to Oakland Airport.
If you missed Fleet Week this year, you definitely won’t want to miss it next year.