Fleet Week SF 2025

Fleet Week has always been a yearly ritual for my family — though, honestly, not always a smooth one. In 2022, I learned the name of San Francisco’s true nemesis: Karl the Fog. 2023 was a little better, and last year, we finally had a perfect day. So naturally, I was hoping for another blue-sky weekend this year.

But this time, the problem wasn’t Karl. It was the government shutdown.

With the shutdown, all U.S. military participants — Navy, Air Force, Marines — were out. The usually bustling Marina Green, filled with military vehicles, exhibits, and VR demo zones, felt almost empty. Just a few lonely Blue Angels souvenir stands and food concessions remained. No Navy meant no F-35, no F-22, and most painfully, no Blue Angels — the heart of the show for decades.

Still, the air show went on. Thanks to non-military participants — United’s Boeing 777, the Patriots Jet Team, Jack Aces P-51 Demo, Ace Maker T-33, Randy Howell & Cory Lovell, and the unexpected heroes of the day, the Canadian Snowbirds — Fleet Week survived 2025.

Randy Howell and Cory Lovell’s aerobatic performance stood out (my personal opinion). Normally, I treat those smaller acts as filler between headliners, but this time I could really appreciate their detail — slower, more deliberate, and surprisingly graceful.

The Patriots Jet Team delivered as always, but this year their show felt extra powerful, almost as if they were determined to fill the Blue Angels’ absence.

And then came the Snowbirds, the official aerobatic team of the Royal Canadian Air Force — a literal international rescue. They flew the CT-114, a modest training jet without the roar or speed of the Blue Angels’ F-18s, yet their tight and beautifully aligned formations were elegant and mesmerizing. It wasn’t power — it was harmony.

By the end of the show, I realized that Marina Park was nearly full again. I was happy for the food vendors and the local economy—San Francisco needed that.

Fleet Week remains my favorite Bay Area event, even if it’s rarely perfect these days. This year proved again that even without the fleet, the spirit of the show can still soar.

Next year, I’ll keep hoping—for clear skies, no shutdowns, and maybe the sound of jet engines and loud sonic booms over the bay once more.

P.S. And another small win — no car break-ins. I’ve been lucky so far, but I still hope this beautiful city stops being blamed for things like that.