Fleet Week is a celebration of the US Navy started years ago when Diane Feinstein was San Francisco's mayor. San Francisco used to be a home port for the western fleet. A major part of the celebration, which usually takes place on the second weekend of October, is the air show put on by the Navy pilots, particularly the Blue Angels.

The Blue Angels, who use the McDonell-Douglas F/A 18 Hornet, generally practice on Thursday and Friday, then do the shows on Saturday and Sunday at about 3:00. They are generally preceded by "Fat Albert", the Navy's C121 transport plane. The practice sessions are pretty much duplicated on the weekends and are MUCH less well attended. Therefore, catching the show on Friday is a better bet than on the weekend. The practice sessions are generally held at the same time as the actual shows too; 3:00 p.m. At this point it's still a well-kept secret.

The group comprises 6 pilots - unless one or more decide, at their sole discretion, not to fly - for of whom stay together in a diamond formation, while the other 2 are solo pilots who coordinate several close-pass stunts, approaching each other at a closing speed of about 600 m.p.h., flashing pass each other pretty much in the middle of the inlet to the bay. One comes from the sea-side, while the other approaches from the Berkeley side of the bay.

Solo unit passing almost overhead towards the Berkeley hills during Friday's practice.

Solo unit passing almost overhead towards the Golden Gate bridge during Friday's practice.

Solo unit passing almost overhead towards the Berkeley hills during Friday's practice.

Solo unit passing almost overhead towards the Golden Gate bridge during Friday's practice.

Mother Nature's reply to the formation flying. A flock of brown pelicans winging majestically across the bay.

Solo unit preparing to climb skyward, at roughly about 60 degrees for about 7 seconds, while jet skis frolic in the bay. The roar was thrilling, but pales in comparison to that of the F15 Eagle doing the same thing.

A new ferry, which I'd never seen.

Solo unit passing overhead as it prepares to head over the city.

Solo unit trailing smoke as it curves over the bay on its way to buzz its opposite number.

Solo unit blazing down the bay towards the Golden Gate bridge.

Diamond unit streaming across the bay towards the Berkeley hills.

Shot of San Francisco from the Rockridge BART station.

All 6 of the Blue Angels passing across the bay. The diamond is the last stage in an air show flyer's career.

Solo jet banking over the bay, heading towards the downtown San Francisco area.

The diamond unit in close formation as they head towards the Berkeley hills.

Another shot of the diamond unit, this time heading across the bay towards the Marin headlands during Friday's practice.

Solo headed from the Berkeley hills side of the bay for a rendezvous with its opposite number.

Close pass of the solo units over the middle of the bay during Fridays' practice. The jets pass within feet of each other at a closing speed of about 600 m.p.h.

The diamond passing by on its way over the Berkeley hills. The structure barely visible below is Alcatraz island, site of the infamous federal prison.

Low pass of the diamond, with the leading and trailing jets flying upside down.

The whole crew - one chose not to practice due to illness - passing across the bay in formation.

The two solos after a close pass. The jet going away towards the hills is upside down after the avoiding swerve. The folks in the yacht had SUCH a good view of that!

Great shot of the solo sweeping around the pier on its way to downtown San Francisco.

The diamond formation streaking skyward.

One of the new moves by the diamond, in which they curve around each other as the approach from the Golden Gate side of the bridge.

The two solos together for a slow fly-by. At the end, they were going almost at stalling speed, inclined at 45 degrees. A coastguard recovery vessel is on patrol in the bay.

The diamond climbing vertically, which they did to a glorious aural accompaniment.

The solos together making an upside-down pass during Friday's practice.

The entire flight, with the solos twisting away at the bottom.

The diamond passing overhead, but you have to watch carefully to distinguish them.

The solos in close company swinging above Angel Island.

All 6 of the jets during Friday's practice, peeling off after climbing straight up as a unit. This move was the precursor to another new move, in which there were 3 pairs of planes making close passes, in a manner similar to the two solos. It was breathtaking.

Three of the jets screaming down the bay away towards downtown.

All 6 of the jets as they make their way to the San Francisco airport after Friday's practice.

The Canadian Snowbirds, a group of Canada's airmen in training jets, making a flower on Sunday. We got this on the way to the Pier 39 area.

Fat Albert, the C121 Navy transport plane that precedes the Blue Angels, as it sweeps in for a low pass. The Marin headlands are in the background. The clear area of the bay, which forms a box ringed by sailboats, gives the pilots a clear area over which to wow the huge crowds lining the bay.

The diamond makes one of its first passes across the bay on Sunday.

The diamond, wheels down, makes a slow pass.

A solo streaking across the sky, with the Marin headlands in the distance, to dance dangerously with its opposite number.

The 5 jets climbing together into the blue yonder. The 6th team member, who flew as a solo, chose not to fly on Sunday. Alcatraz is in the lower left.

The 5 jets a little further in their climb.

The 5 jets diving together after a long loop. The smoke of their earlier climb still hangs in the relatively still air.

A solo after a close pass. In the foreground is one of the many ferries that dot the bay on weekends.

The diamond doing the rolling pass after streaking over the Golden Gate bridge.

A solo making a slow pass, engines roaring, as it stays just on the right side of stalling.

The jets streaking down after climbing together into the mid afternoon sun.

Video clip of the flight approaching over the Golden Gate bridge, streaking down the bay, then turning right to return to the San Francisco airport.

Video clip of the flight doing a high loop. The camera is limited to 30 s of video at 320 x 240 resolution, so that was as much as I got.

Video clip of one of the solos making a pass across the bay and a full 360 roll.

Video clip of the flight coming out of a high loop.