Earlier this month, Fleet Week descended on San Francisco. The popular annual event always ends with a spectacular aerial performance by the Blue Angels, the United States Navy and Marine Corps demonstration squadron that performs around the country from March through October.
Northern California’s Rick Bowling captured the Blue Angels over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco during Fleet Week earlier this month (click image for full frame). Photo courtesy/copyright Rick Bowling/Speedonthewater.com
If you haven’t seen it, you need to. The skill level of Blue Angel aviators will leave you breathless. And the roar of the fighter jets within inches of each other as they tear through the sky in outrageous formations? It makes the sounds of supercharged V-8 marine engines sound like mouse hiccups.
Away from my home about an hour north of San Francisco to cover Roar Offshore—the season finale of the six-race American Power Boat Association Offshore Championship Series—in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., I had to miss the Blue Angels show this year. But Northern California’s Rick Bowling didn’t (he rarely does) and he posted a few pictures he took from his well-known 37-foot Talon catamaran called Gone Again.
“The Blue Angels are always my favorite day on San Francisco Bay,” said Bowling. “Fleet Week is awesome with all the boats that show up. If you like horsepower and speed, it doesn’t get any better. I’ve been doing this event this for at least 30 years.”
and then