Fleet Week - San Francisco

Normally during Fleet Week in San Francisco, the greatest flight demonstration team in the world, the “Blue Angels,” dominates the skies. However, this year for unknown reasons, they are not performing for the first time since 1981. Instead, the Canadian “Snowbirds” are the featured act in addition to an unknown-to-me team called “The Patriots.” The Patriots team is the only civilian jet team in the United States and they fly a very unassuming, quiet modified trainer called the L-39. However, they perform a stunt shown below which is just breathtaking:

This stunt, aptly named the "Tail Slide," is performed when the L-39 ascends vertically while slowing its speed down to the point where the plane stalls. After hanging in the air frozen for moment, the plane, under no power, starts to slide back to the ground. As the plane slides backwards (often turning the plane upside down), the pilot increases the thrust and corrects the slide. I’ve seen this done with prop planes before, but this is the first time I have seen a jet do it.

Sadly, no Angels flying over the Golden Gate Bridge this year, but The Patriots were a pleasant surprise.