Plus: BART’s glass canopies were shattered recently — because it was only a matter of time, if we’re being honest.
Friday through Sunday saw San Francisco cosplay skies quasi-common in war-torn nations. Fighter planes lattice cloudless horizons for the city’s annual Fleet Week — SF’s 43rd iteration since the tradition started in 1981.
But the neck-straining spectacle has become more of an eyesore (and eardrum buster) as it ages. Fleet Week, too, has become more expensive each year to put on, as a result of climbing fuel prices and economic inflation; San Francisco’s Fleet Week, in tandem with the previously mentioned pressures, has also grown in size.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Blue Angels’ three Fleet Week shows collectively cost $18,000. The newspaper, too, calculated tens of thousands of gallons of jet fuel are used in total each Fleet Week in San Francisco; the Blue Angels jets alone emit about 825,600 pounds of climate-warming carbon dioxide during Fleet Week.
As we wrote earlier this week: The sound of these F/A-18 fighter jets can, without hyperbole, severely and permanently damage any onlooker’s hearing, especially if they are watching these shows without proper protection. Even those just minding their own business and staying in their own proverbial lane are subjected to possible hearing damage, as we learned just seconds of high decibel sounds produced by jet engines, especially when they perform “sneak passes” that can put these planes less than 100 feet above our heads.
So … yea … I think we can just say we’ll pass on any more Fleet Week airshows, tbh.
What else transpired over the weekend? Let’s take a look.
- Fleet Week does, however, bring a big business boost to San Francisco. Small businesses in the city remarked that they saw noticeable upticks in business last week, particularly during the scheduled Fleet Week weekend activities. More info.
- Those new BART entrances with glass canopies were shattered. Riders told ABC7 that the glass surrounding the new entryways at the Powell and Civic Center stations, which recently debuted their new glass canopies, were blanketed by broken glass from vandalism; similar situations were noted at other like-structured BART entrances; a spokesperson with the rapid transit agency told KPIX that an estimate to fix them is underway. More info.
- A newly restored mural celebrating Filipino heritage was unveiled in SoMa. Titled “Ang Lip ni Lapu Lapu,” extends 90 feet up the San Lorenzo Ruiz Center apartment building, being first painted in 1984; the restoration, which began almost exactly a year ago, was possible because of a $100,000 grant afforded by the nonprofit TODCO Group. More info.
Feature Image: Courtesy of MOAA
Thankfully, this remains a minority opinion (rendered laughable by the decision to include “eyesore” among your criticisms). But feel free to leave town for the weekend next year, if you feel so strongly about taking a pass on future airshows. The rest of SF will just have to find some way to continue enjoying this awe-inspiring spectacle in your absence.
Seriously…eyesore?? If that’s the word that comes to mind for you when looking at the picture above your column…
Your suggestion of doing away with the Blue Angels is just one more reason for people to not come to San Francisco. Your ignorance is typical of the politicians that have turned a once beautiful city into a sesspool.
Forget about the thousands of people that come to see them fly and at the same time support the local economy.
I for one have am proud that San Francisco hosts the Blue Angels each year as part of Fleet Week.
Maybe you should leave town next year and every year following.