On the second day of our stay in San Francisco, we heard a lot of very loud noise outside. When looking out of the window of our marvelous apartment, the whole sky was full of smoke trails emitted from airplanes. But not just any planes. These were the real F-18 fighter jets piloted by Blue Angels.
We were really lucky to be in San Francisco during the amazing Fleet Week. This is an annual public event that honors the contributions of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces while advancing cooperation and knowledge among civilian- and military-based Humanitarian Assistance personnel. It began in 1981 and it’s the largest and most significant event of its kind in the nation. It includes a lot of United States soldiers, the parade of ships and different events through four days.
The most spectacular event for me was the Air Show featuring the United States Navy Blue Angels. The things they can do are jaw-dropping. They fly in the formation of four, five or six and meanwhile doing loopings, overflights, spirals, and other acrobatics. They fly vertically as high as possible and then falling towards the San Francisco Bay in freefall. The last second before crashing into the ocean they lift up. It’s incredible what they can do and really inspiring. We were both staring at those planes like little kids and were both like: “I want to be a pilot when I grow up!”
Fleet Week is a great family event, you can see the work of the United States Armed Forces up close and it’s also a great promotion for them. It’s very impressive when you see it with your own eyes. It is no wonder Americans are such patriots and love their army.
