Fleet Week festivities draw crowds, gridlock in San Francisco

Alan Wang Image
ByAlan Wang KGO logo
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Fleet Week festivities draw big crowds, gridlock in San Francisco
Fleet Week festivities continued Friday with another amazing performance from the Blue Angels. With all the aerial acrobatics came the crowds and gridlock.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Blue Angels dazzled San Francisco on Friday with their precision flying, and it wasn't the only day that you can enjoy the air show.

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

They came by land, by sea, by selfie stick, but cameras couldn't be pointed at themselves for very long - not with the Blue Angels approaching from all angles in San Francisco's front yard.

PHOTOS: Fleet Week air shows takes flight over San Francisco

Every year, the Navy's Blue Angels are the stars of Fleet Week, and every year their shows stop the city.

"We brought the binoculars so we're going to be checking out the pilots, for sure," visitor Nicole Kim said - although the Navy would prefer everyone to check them out on a broader scale.

For a kid like 11-year-old Eduardo Rios, this is the stuff that maybe changes direction or possibly provides it. "Might be something I want to do when I grow up," he said.

The Navy presented plenty of options Friday, beginning with its Parade of Ships.

VIDEO: Parade of Ships takes center stage at Fleet Week

Pilots in planes from past generations took to the skies, as did United Airlines, which buzzed the Bay at 300 feet and 350 knots in a Boeing 757.

This is what everyone lined up on San Francisco's waterfront to see, and they heard them before they saw them. The ground shook long after they passed.

ABC7 News will be streaming the festivities online from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Check back here for live streams.

For full coverage on Fleet Week, click here.