Blue Angels practice above San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- You'll see people around San Francisco looking up at the sky today, as they hear a familiar roar. The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels are scheduled to begin practicing over the city today to prepare for this weekend's air shows. Today's practice got underway at 1 p.m. above the San Francisco waterfront.

FLEET WEEK SCHEDULE: Click here for the full schedule of events

Fleet Week is giving the Bay Area an up close chance to thank the men and women who serve and protect our country. The U.S.S. Somerset will be open for tours until 2 p.m. today. The ship was named after the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, the plane that took off from Newark International on September 11, 2001. It was scheduled to land at SFO, and was carrying a number of Bay Area families on board, but instead went down in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

Service members tell us they're looking forward to engaging with the public this weekend.

"We have the air show going on, we have ship tours, and we have a lot to offer, but please take time to engage that individual service member, if you see them walking down the streets of San Francisco, and teach them about the city's beautiful history as well," said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Agustin Solivan.

San Francisco's Fleet Week is the largest and most significant event of its kind in the nation. There's a unique training and education component that brings together civilian and military forces to not only develop, but also share best practices in humanitarian assistance, and emergency disaster response.

ABC7 News will be streaming the festivities online from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Click here to watch live, and click here for full coverage on Fleet Week