During the Oct. 11-13 Fleet Week Airshow, an annual spectacle in the San Francisco Bay Area, an array of aircraft perform 10-12 acts for audiences around the bay. Aircraft perform various aerial maneuvers, including loops and barrel rolls, often in synchronization with each other. The show’s headliner is the Blue Angels, an elite navy squadron dedicated to recruitment and showcasing the power of the United States Navy. The team flies as close together as possible, sometimes only 18 inches apart at speeds of over 400 miles per hour. A staple of the show is weather interference from San Francisco’s famous fog. This year, the Blue Angels’ Saturday show was canceled due to low cloud cover, but thankfully they were able to perform for crowds on Sunday. Other highlights of the show include appearances by United Airlines and the Patriots, a civilian formation team, similar to the Blue Angels.
The two Blue Angels solos cross over each other during one of many opposing passes during the 2024 Fleet Week Airshow. (Jonah Rossiter)“Razz” Larson pulls a tactical pitch in the F-22 Raptor during his Sunday performance at 2024 Fleet Week. (Jonah Rossiter)“Razz” Larson’s F-22 Raptor creates vapor cones during the high-speed pass at his Sunday performance at 2024 Fleet Week. (Jonah Rossiter)Blue Angel #5 approaches the sound barrier, creating a vapor cone, during a sneak pass in the 2024 Fleet Week Airshow. (Jonah Rossiter)The Blue Angels complete their Sunday performance with the delta flat pass at the 2024 Fleet Week Airshow. (Jonah Rossiter)The United Airlines 777 opens up Sunday’s show with a low flyby at 2024’s Fleet Week. (Jonah Rossiter)The Patriots Jet Team solo #2 passes low in front of Alcatraz Island on Sunday of 2024’s Fleet Week. (Jonah Rossiter)“Razz” Larson rips through the minimum radius turn maneuver in the F-22 Raptor during his Sunday performance at 2024 Fleet Week. (Jonah Rossiter)
