San Francisco Fleet Week is an annual celebration of America's sea services (Navy, Coast Guard, Marines) with focus on their capability to provide humanitarian assistance. The event, which started in 1981, happens in October each year at San Francisco, California, USA.
Fleet Week Saturday 2016
San Francisco Fleet Week 2016 was slated for 5 October to 10 October 2016. Exhibits were done at the Marina Greens nearby Fort Mason. Ship tours were available on Navy and Coast Guard ships docked in the San Francisco piers. There were also other events like band performances that were done in other venues in San Francisco.
I went with family to experience San Francisco Fleet Week 2016 on Saturday, 8 October 2016. We were mainly interested to witness the air show and join some ship tours. Mainly though, we ended up just watching the air show and touring some of the exhibits at the Humanitarian Assistance Village.
Air Shows
Air shows are one of the most popular highlights of
San Francisco Fleet Week. And most of our time was spent witnessing the air show on
Fleet Week Saturday. The Saturday air show was ushered in by the singing of The Star Spangled Banner while two (2) skydivers from the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs Parachute Team unfurled the U.S. flag from the air.
 |
| US Navy Leap Frogs Parachute Team skydivers unfurl the US Flag |
More skydivers then leaped out of the aircraft from a few thousand feet from the Marina Greens.
 |
| US Navy Leap Frogs Parachute Team banner at San Francisco Fleet Week 2016 |
Other performers at the air show were the helicopters from the US Coast Guard, the Breitling Jet Team of France, a CF-18 from the Royal Canadian Air Force, an F-22 demonstration, the Patriots Jet Team, and a passenger jet from American flag carrier United Airlines.
 |
| The Breitling Jet Team from France performing at an air show at San Francisco Fleet Week 2016 |
The highlight of the air show was the performance of the US Navy Blue Angels which was also the finale.
 |
| US Navy Blue Angels perform at the San Francisco Fleet Week 2016 |
|
Ship Tours
This was one highlight that we planned to do but was not able to do for lack of time. Fleet Week Saturday would have been the day where the most ships are available for viewing and tours. The following ships were available for viewing that day:
- HMCS Calgary, a Halifax-class frigate of the Royal Canadian Navy currently homeported at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- USS San Diego, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock currently homeported in San Diego, California, USA
- USS Mobile Bay, Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser currently homeported at San Diego, California, USA
- USCGC Mellon, a Hamilton-class US Coast Guard cutter currently homeported in Seattle, Washington, USA
- USS Cape Hudson, a roll-n/roll-off (RORO) ship assigned to the Medical Service Corps of the Maritime Administration's Reserve Force
Humanitarian Assistance Village
The exhibit at the Humanitarian Assistance Village highlights US military and civil capabilities in responding to disaster. Focus will be on four core areas: power and utilities, community response and rescue, mass care and shelter, and environmental management and decontamination. We were able to walk through a military field hospital. That tour started with the field emergency room and the adjoining field operating room and concluded with the field dental unit.
 |
| A shot of a part of the Humanitarian Assistance Village at San Francisco Fleet Week 2016 |
Other Exhibits at Marina Greens
Other exhibits and booths at Marina Greens showcased giveaways and prize drawings, cockpit photo ops on a Corsair A7-D replica, pull-up challenges, and a virtual reality exhibit by the US Navy.
 |
| Replica of a Corsair A7-D cockpit at the San Francisco Fleet Week 2016 |
Brothers Janus and Thadz document their travels around the United States and occasionally around the world.
0 comments:
Post a Comment