San Francisco Fleet Week 2012

[Britt]

Didn't see a thread on Fleet Week, so I thought I'd start one since I FINALLY got through all my shots. I've never done Fleet Week before, so this was a big first. It was quite an interesting show, and what a view to see it happen over (the bay).  On the first day of the airshow (Saturday) I photographed the show from Fort Mason, near show center and got photos of all the flying portion of the airshow. This included Harriers, Osprey, B-2 Stealth Bomber, Canadian CF-18 Hornet demo, F-22 Raptor demo, F/A-18E Super Hornet demo, lots of aerobatics, United Airlines 747 demo, and the US Navy Blue Angels headlining the performers. One the second day of the airshow, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the invitation only United Family Day at San Francisco Airport where all the airshow aircraft stage out of. This event is not open to the public, so getting in isn't easy unless you know someone who works at United. It was like the second half of the airshow as there were a lot of static displays of warbirds, jets, and United airliners... plus you got to watch all the aircraft leave the airport for the airshow, but the downside was you can't actually see the airshow flying since it's quite a ways away over the bay.  I was VERY VERY lucky enough to be able to go up on the roof of one of the buildings at the airport and shoot the whole Blue Angel pre-show, taxi out, flyover, and taxi back!  Pretty darn unique shots, especially of the Raptor!  I was also lucky enough to get to do a night shoot with the CF-18 Hornet and USN Blue Angels!

GALLERY LINK FOR DAY 1 (over the Bay): http://www.warbird-photos.com/gallery.php?Airshow=2012-FleetWeek1

GALLERY LINK FOR DAY 2 (United Family Day): http://www.warbird-photos.com/gallery.php?Airshow=2012-FleetWeek2

SAMPLE SHOTS FROM DAY 1


































SAMPLE SHOTS FROM DAY 2

[g0_command0]

Nice shots! its rare to see shots from SFO! I think the Harriers were staging out at Moffett along with some super hornets

[Britt]

Nice shots! its rare to see shots from SFO! I think the Harriers were staging out at Moffett along with some super hornets

  I know the Ospreys were located at SFO, but not at the United show area where the Blues and the other aircraft were (saw the demo on depart the airport and ended up seeing the second Osprey hiding in the distant background of my shots). The two Super Hornets were at the airport and with the other show aircraft next to CF-18 Hornet and the F-16s.

[g0_command0]

woops, i shouldve clarified that the hornets at Moffett were the ones doing the flyovers for the baseball game.

[SBGrad]

I was taking pix Thurs-Sun, each day was different in terms of weather/lineup


Frys.com low level pass by SBGrad, on Flickr


777 low speed low level pass by SBGrad, on Flickr


12th Air Force F-16 by SBGrad, on Flickr


T-33 over Alcatraz by SBGrad, on Flickr


Blue Angel Delta flat pass by SBGrad, on Flickr


Prandtl–Glauert Singularity by SBGrad, on Flickr


Blue Angel Double Farvel by SBGrad, on Flickr

[SBGrad]

woops, i shouldve clarified that the hornets at Moffett were the ones doing the flyovers for the baseball game.

I don't know where they took off from, but I caught these these 2 at approx 6pm doing orbits over Alcatraz about 1/2 hr before the playoff game, I'm sure they flew over the ballpark right before the game started


VFA-151 section lfight by SBGrad, on Flickr