The San Francisco Citizen

October has arrived, so it’s time for another Fleet Week in San Francisco. What’s Fleet Week?

Fleet Week is a United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard tradition in which active military ships recently deployed in overseas operations dock in a variety of major cities for one week. Once the ships dock, the crews can enter the city and visit its tourist attractions. At certain hours, the public can take a guided tour of the ships. Often, Fleet Week is accompanied by military demonstrations and airshows such as provided by the Blue Angels.

O.K. then. See some photos of Fleet Weeks past and also this weekend’s schedule below.

Alcatraz. Click to expand:

An F-86 with an F-15:

The Snow Birds will also come back in 2008:

Fisherman’s Wharf:

 SATURDAY, OCTIOBER 11, 2008:

11:30am-12:30pm
Parade of Fleet Week Ships

12:30pm-3pm

Blue Angels

Air Show

3pm-4pm

11am-4pm
“Festival at the Fort”
Fort Mason

1pm-3pm
Rockin’ at Ghirardelli Square

4pm-7pm
PIER 39 Music Festival

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2008

11am-4pm
Ship Tours

 12:30pm-3pm
 Air Show

 3pm-4pm
 Blue Angels

 12:30pm-3pm
 Italian Heritage Day Parade aka Indigenous Peoples’ Day, aka Columbus Day

 11am-4pm
 “Festival at the Fort”
 Fort Mason

 1pm-3pm
  Rockin’ at Ghirardelli Square

  4pm-7pm
  PIER 39 Music Festival

See you there! 

This year’s sponsors:

SAAB

The Air Show Network

Consulate General of Canada

Geico

Team Oracle

Lucas Oil

Virgin America

KSFO 560 AM

The San Francisco Examiner

CW Bay Area

Military.com

Pier 39

Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco

Fort Mason Center

Doubletree Hotel
San Francisco Airport

Black Diamond Brewing

Barefoot Wine & Bubbly

Signature Flight Support

Argonaut Hotel

Ontario

TransCanada

Port of San Francisco

San Francisco Marina

National Park Service

San Francisco
International Airport

Seven Hills Group

San Francisco’s Festival of Sail started yesterday - read all about it.

Movie star The Bounty in front of Alcatraz, as seen from the Crissy Field Overlook in the Presidio. Click to expand:

The Coast Guard’s Eagle, just after passing under the Golden Gate Bridge. Lot’s of great photos here, from Telstar Logistics. Can you spot the baggywrinkle?

A different view of the Eagle, next to the Alpha Tower of the Bay Bridge as witnessed by Petty Officer Sherri Eng:

Lots of people came out to see the SS Jeremiah O’Brien slowly chug along:

See you at the Festival of Sail!

It’s on! Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, July 22, 2008, you should come on down to San Francisco’s waterfront and check out all the old school ships. You’ll be able to see 32 Tall Ships sail through the Golden Gate starting at around noon. You can get good views from the Presidio and Fort Mason.

Look out for the Nazi-built war prize USCGC Eagle (you can’t miss it, it’s huge).

tall ship Pallada, via Towse’s photostream in front of Treasure Island

Don’t miss the Pirate Academy!

There will be three Festival of Sail villages at:

AT&T Park (Green Village),

Ferry Building (International Sail Village), and

Pier 43-1/2 (Marine Educational Village).

Purchase Boarding Passes online for one of three villages, which will feature several vessels and other maritime-history highlights ($10 to $20). Board the Red and White Fleet Water Taxi to connect between the three villages. Book online ($16) for a full day pass.

See you there!

Still more high winds are causing large trees to fall down in Golden Gate Park today. This Monterey Cypress decided to take a swim in Stow Lake and is currently blocking the large recreation path that goes up Strawberry Hill.

Mother Nature didn’t seem too happy on this day of many Earth Day activities. Let’s be careful out there.

Update: The Coast Guard is taking pains to remind all to keep safe on the water during this period of gale warnings in the Bay Area. Read what LTJG Lauren Kolumbic has to say about it all, after the jump.

(more…)

A United States Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge last month.

Yesterday, Sector San Francisco invited a few folks over to get a closer look at what it takes to keep people from dying on the bay. Take a look the video from KTVU Channel 2.

Click on to see photos from the day. Don’t forget to hop over and take a gander at what Telstar Logistics saw.

(more…)