Title: Canadian Snowbirds to Headline San Francisco Fleet Week

The Canadian Snowbirds will take center stage at this year's San Francisco Fleet Week, replacing the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels due to the ongoing government shutdown. The Blue Angels, known for their thrilling aerobatic performances in F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jets, are unable to participate as military personnel are grounded amid the shutdown.

Fleet Week, an annual event held over Columbus Day Weekend since 1981, will feature the Snowbirds, a team of nine red-and-white Tutor trainer jets. This marks the second time in a month that the Royal Canadian Air Force has stepped in to fill the gap left by U.S. military teams. Last weekend, the Snowbirds headlined the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California, after the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were also sidelined by the shutdown.

Organizers of Fleet Week decided to proceed with a reduced lineup of performances and fly-bys. They expressed hope that the Blue Angels' absence is only temporary, stating their participation is "paused" rather than canceled, pending a resolution to the government shutdown.

Kevin Elliott, director of the Pacific Airshow, humorously remarked, "Thank God Canada is not the 51st state yet," acknowledging the last-minute adjustments made to the event's lineup. He expressed relief that the Snowbirds were available to perform, saying they helped "save the day."

The Blue Angels are scheduled to appear in three upcoming airshows in Georgia and Florida over the next month, but there are currently no plans for the Snowbirds to participate in those events. The U.S. government shutdown began on October 1, and the longest shutdown in U.S. history lasted 35 days, starting in 2018 during the Trump administration.

As Fleet Week approaches, the Snowbirds are set to bring their signature aerial displays to San Francisco, delighting crowds in a time of uncertainty for U.S. military airshows.