The story behind SF Fleet Week's biggest star

Fleet Week in San Francisco , a highly anticipated, often controversial annual event, is best known for the wall-shaking antics of the Blue Angels . But amid the display of Navy ships and military prowess, one of the most jaw-dropping parts of the event is watching United Airlines' massive airliner swoop over iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge , seemingly missing it by a matter of feet.

The people at the controls during these demonstrations aren't your typical commercial pilots. One of them, Capt. Ty Loutzenheiser, explained the role to SFGATE in a video call on Friday, "We specifically only do flight test events — we don't carry passengers."

It's showtime

Getting a spot in the Fleet Week air show is based not only on technical skills, but also on your reputation within the airline's rarefied group of test pilots. United only has 25. They can't apply for the position directly, but instead are nominated by current or former team members.

On the day of the air show, the team takes off from San Francisco International Airport and circles over the ocean just west of the Golden Gate Bridge until it's time for their performance. "We're at about 300 knots (about 330 miles per hour), and we go down to about 300 feet as we're doing our first pass," said Loutzenheiser.

Once their first pass is complete, they circle again over the water until their second show, which is usually in the early afternoon. They return to SFO after their second show, clocking in about four hours of flight time.

San Francisco is special

While the United test pilots have performed in other cities, such as Oshkosh , Wisconsin, Fleet Week is a standout due to its close proximity to downtown San Francisco and unpredictable weather. According to another pilot, Capt. Thomas R. Tennant, during clear weather, the planes fly at speeds of up to 300 knots during some of the faster passes. "Coming down over the Golden Gate Bridge, we're probably a little over 200 [knots], about 240 miles per hour," he told SFGATE on a video call. The demonstration includes a mix of high-speed passes and slower, gear-down maneuvers.

Fog, a not-uncommon condition in San Francisco, poses challenges. If the fog layer is 2,000 feet above the water, they execute what is referred to as a "low show" or "bad weather show." During the bad weather show, they perform a series of shortened maneuvers that include four passes.

While spectators on the ground might feel the planes are flying precariously low, the team has strict limits. The planes must remain at least 300 feet above the ground, with an ideal target altitude of 350 feet to provide an additional buffer.

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Logistics, logistics, logistics

United, which is a sponsor of the air show, used the well-known Boeing 747 during the event for years, but after retiring that aircraft, pilots now fly the Boeing 777-300ER — the largest plane in its fleet. "The triple seven is an amazing airplane, very reliable," Loutzenheiser told SFGATE. "That's one of the highest safety records and it's a joy to fly."

Pretty much all the training happens before these pilots ever set foot in a real airplane. They practice many of the maneuvers they perform during Fleet Week in simulators, which provide an incredibly realistic experience. Capt. Mark Tacquard, who joined the team in 2017, emphasized how well-prepared they are by the time show day arrives: "You do so many reps in the simulator that when you actually get out there on show day, it's second nature."

In the training sessions leading up to the event, pilots swap roles and also practice using a backup aircraft so even if their primary aircraft isn't available on the day of the show, they're still ready to go.

As far as the actual plane, it's plucked straight from the United fleet. Typically, they use a spare aircraft kept in San Francisco for contingencies related to airline operations. After the event, the aircraft is quickly refueled and sent out on a regular commercial flight — sometimes as soon as that evening.

Up in the sky above

Only three people are on board the aircraft on each flight: the pilot flying, the pilot monitoring and the safety observer. The safety observer's role is crucial and helps ensure that all maneuvers are executed according to plan.

All the pilots agree that the experience is spectacular and never gets old, but according to Tennant, there is a clear winning view. "I'd say for me the best view is on that very first pass," he said. "You've been holding, waiting for your time in the box, and you're told your time, and now it's ... you've got to do the math and make sure you're there right on time. But that very first, it's go time."