Journeys›Photograph

Watching the Fleet Week Air Show in San Francisco

·San Francisco, California·#bay area#san-francisco#golden-gate-bridge#fleet-week#air-show
Four black jet planes fly in formation against a clear blue sky, leaving blue, white, and red smoke trails.

Back in October of 2008, I went out to watch the Fleet Week air show. It was a perfect day for it—completely clear blue skies over San Francisco. A huge crowd gathered along the waterfront, finding spots on the grass to watch the performance against the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The show itself was impressive. We saw multiple formations of jets flying past, sometimes in groups of four, sometimes five. They flew low over the bay and right past the bridge towers, leaving long trails of red, white, and blue smoke hanging in the air. The sound was incredible as they passed overhead.

You could feel the energy from the crowd as everyone's heads tilted back to follow the planes. It's a classic San Francisco event, and on a day with weather this good, it's easy to see why so many people come out for it. It was a great way to spend an afternoon by the water.

A crowd enjoys a sunny day on a grassy field with the Golden Gate Bridge, mountains, and four planes in the sky.Four planes fly over the Golden Gate Bridge and a red food tent with many people on a clear day.Four planes fly over the Golden Gate Bridge, with people and food tents in the foreground.Three jets fly in a clear blue sky, leaving red and white trails above a crowd watching by a bay.Three jets leave red and white contrails across a blue sky above a crowd of spectators.A large plane with smoke and fire flies in front of a red suspension bridge tower.Four fighter jets fly in formation above the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge.Five blue and yellow jet planes fly in diagonal formation, leaving white contrails across a clear blue sky.

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