Cruising high above the West Coast en route from San Francisco, CA to Seattle, WA - I can’t think of a better time to talk about planes?!
Well, “fleet week” in San Francisco, for me, turned out to be an accidental activity that we stumbled upon that consumed 5 hours of time on a beautiful Sunday afternoon between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz island. What started out as a random weekend to catch up with friends in California, ended with watching the most spectacular aerial acrobatics I have ever seen!
After viewing dozens of planes cruise by, including the: United States Air Force F-35 (man this guy is loud and fast!), United States Parachute Team, and one can't leave out the gigantic C-130 to just name a few. While impressive, the initial show of force and talent displayed was all to work up to the highly sophisticated coordination of the United States Navy Blue Angels.
The precision flying of 6 aircraft consisting of highly decorated military professional aviators cruising between 350 and 3,000 feet off the surface of the San Francisco Bay at upwards of 450 miles per hour is fancy - but then consider the distance between one plane’s wingtip to the cockpit of a neighboring plane being only 18 inches apart - likened in many cases to a high stakes game of airplane chicken. At times, the rate of closure between two crafts was over 1,000 miles per hour!
As the F/A - 18 Hornets went about their aerial acrobatic dances with grace and agility showcasing the aircraft's power, flexibility, and might, one can’t stop appreciating the talent of our country’s military personnel and be thankful for their daily service and sacrifices.
Even if you’re exploring the San Francisco Bay Area and you don’t have the privilege of watching the Blue Angels soar, make sure you have on your list a stop at The Buena Vista for an Irish Coffee (or two!) - which happens to be the cafe that first mastered and introduced this delicate drink to the United States. The food is amazing too!
