Fleet Week proved a loud and colorful affair, with the most prominent hue being blue—for the blue sky and the Blue Angels. The jet-fighter troupe buzzed the city, thrilling watchers and frightening the bejeezus out of pets.
Fleet Week and the corresponding citywide air show became a San Francisco tradition in 1981, under then Mayor Dianne Feinstein, to “honor the contributions of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.”
The Blue Angels, formed in 1946, are noted for their signature blue aircrafts and close-quarters stunt flying. The squad first flew over Oakland in 1949 and in San Francisco in 1950.
The precision pilots were part of Fleet Week in 1981 and garnered complaints about noise and scares in 1983. Among those complaining: Feinstein herself, who wasn’t prepared to be touched by an Angel when the jets buzzed her office.
“About 2 p.m., the ear-ringing roar of the six A-4 fighters echoed through the City Hall rotunda, followed by a barrage of complaining telephone calls,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Despite complaints, Instagram loves the Blue Angels. Take a look at what went up over the weekend:
- Fleet Week
- Blue Angels [U.S. Navy]
- 1950s Angels Flyover [San Francisco Chronicle]