Top guns in town: The Standard guide to SF Fleet Week 2022

It’s coming: that first whooshing, thundering crash that cracks the blue sky of a San Francisco October afternoon. 

Yes, Fleet Week returns this week. And few folks are happier than Shannon Rice, a self-proclaimed “Fleet Week fanatic" who hasn’t missed a show in the 30-plus years that she’s lived in the city.

“It is my favorite event of the year, hands down,” Rice said. “Don’t ask me why. I’m such a tree-hugging hippie… Everyone I know is so surprised that I love Fleet Week.”

It’s a sentiment that many San Franciscans share: How to reconcile a love for the military show in a peace-and-love city. And the ear-splitting noise of the Blue Angels jets further divides residents for its rattling of pets and nerves. But Rice speaks for many city dwellers who look forward to the spectacle.

“I love how loud it is. I’m out there screaming, ‘Louder!’” Rice said. “I’m not big on the military—I mean I support the troops, for sure—but there’s something incredible about what it takes to fly these machines and the expertise involved. It’s mind-boggling." 

The annual air show and parade of ships began in 1981 when SF Mayor Dianne Feinstein created the event to honor the nation's sea-based branches of the military. Now seen as a model for other events around the country, the SF Fleet Week brings in an estimated $10 million in revenue to the city annually according to organizers. 

For years, Rice lived right beneath the action in Russian Hill but now she heads to the waterfront from her home in the Sunset. And she’s got some tips for others who want to feel the wind of a fighter jet in their hair.

“Don’t drive there. It’s a no-brainer, but don’t,” said Rice, insisting that a bus is the best way to get anywhere near the bay for Fleet Week.

And though the official grandstands are set up on Marina Green, Rice said it’s not the best place to watch.

“Aquatic Park is really the center of the show,” Rice explained. She tries to get there by noon and brings a waterproof blanket to sit on the soggy grass but not much else because porta-potties and food options are nearby. “There are always a lot of people there but there’s plenty of room for everyone.”

By bay, Rice recommends booking a ticket for a Fleet Week bay cruise. She rode on the Red and White Fleet for the past few years and liked it, but cautions that the boat is continually moving so is not necessarily able to sit still right underneath under the action.

“But one year I got some video where you could actually see the afterburn,” Rice said. “It was amazing!”

Check out the Standard Guide to Fleet Week below, with a complete list of official Fleet Week events, places you can reserve a seat or table on land and sea, and a map of the best places near SF to watch for free.

The official events run from Monday, Oct. 3 to Monday, Oct. 10, but most of the action takes place from Wednesday to Sunday. Click here for the full calendar of official events and read on for more places to watch.

If you’re not content to just see the occasional Blue Angel fly over and don’t feel like fighting for a spot, consider reserving your seat at one of these watch parties in the city or on the bay. Most of these events still have tickets available.

To be sure, the Fleet Week air show is visible from the entire city and many parts of the Bay Area. But if you’re aiming for the best views possible, head to one of these popular viewing spots. New spots like Tunnel Tops, Battery Bluff and Francisco Park will deliver prime views.