In prep for President Uknowwho's visit to the Bay Area this Tuesday, Marine 1 and HMX-1 have been cruising up and down the Peninsula all week.

HMX-1 (Marine V-22 Ospreys). There was a third one just out-of-field:

HMX-1 - 1 by kpkina, on Flickr


Marine 1, which carries the Pres, and decoy (Sikorskys):

Marine 1 - 1 by kpkina, on Flickr

SIGNAL MIRROOOOORRRRRRRR!!

Damn they were loud (in a good way). Woke me up from a nap. Knew what they were, so I ran to the balcony with my phone.

Back when BHO was POTUS he seemed to visit every 6-months. I was living then in Burlingame and the Osprey's had just joined the fleet, lots of photogs to check them out by the executive terminal. They were uniquely loud as they took their familiarization flights around the area.

Bay Area is going to be a hive of federal activity over the next 45-days. POTUS coming/going, Fleet Week in the middle of Oct and the APEC conference in mid-Nov already has pier-96 taken over by the Feds with lots of augmented federal LEO's because SFPD is woefully shorthanded.

Does anyone know specifically why they make pre-runs a week before the actual presidential visit? Checking security, alternate landing zones, and the like?

^^^
Principally so the pilots become familiar with the area and understand prominent landmarks, waypoints and approaches of the routes. Secondarily, and equally important, so they can troubleshoot any mechanical issues after the helos have been reassembled.

Just went to the Miramar Air Show yesterday—wife and I walked 4.4 miles getting there to and from the parking lot!
If I get a chance I’ll post some photos done with my new Olympus OM-1.