Patriots Jet Team pilot talks about the thrill of flying in SF’s Fleet Week air show

This weekend, the sky above San Francisco Bay has become the main stage for aerial acrobatics.
While the Blue Angels may be the headliners for the Fleet Week Air Show, the opening acts will be sure to impress. Just ask Cory Lovell, a pilot with the Patriots Jet Team.
WATCH: Video of Friday’s San Francisco Fleet Week Blue Angels air show
“It’s really like a choreographed ballet in the sky,” he said.
He’s a part of the all-civilian group that flies L-39 Albatros Jets that leave behind a signature mark during the show.
“You’re going to see red, white, and blue smoke. That’s how you’ll know it’s the Patriots and not the Blue Angels or another jet up there,” he said.
He says it takes extreme concentration to be behind the controls as they pull off incredible flight maneuvers at high speeds.
WATCH: Video of our full SF Fleet Week Parade of Ships special
“We’ve practiced this hundreds of times and walked through it, but once you get out over the water and in front of the crowds, you focus goes up 10x,” Lovell said. “They’re all pretty challenging. But when we go up into the loop with all six jets, being able to make sure that looks like the nice delta and keep it in really tight, is a lot of work. But there are a lot of other crosses – you know, we come right at each other and have to just miss each other.”
This year, Corey and his flying partner, Randy Howell, will also be putting on a show in their personal planes sporting special decals to promote the NBA All-Star Game that will be at Chase Center this season.
“You’re going to see our smaller aerobatic airplanes,” he said. “It’ll be two of us. We’re going to be doing all sorts of flips and flops up in the sky. They’ll look different than the jets. Definitely really exciting.”
Fleet Week is a special time in San Francisco. Lovell, who fell in love with flying as a kid, doesn’t take the opportunity to fly and perform in the air show for granted.
“I lived in San Francisco for 22 years and loved Fleet Week,” he said. “The fact that I can come out here and perform in Fleet Week means so much more. I have a ton of friends out there. It’s just a great time of the year.”