Groupies Search Out Exotic Aircraft on Wings of Desire : Aviation: This year’s expo at Van Nuys Airport, saluting Operation Desert Storm, drew the largest crowds in its history.

Dave Cibby’s closest friends are scattered throughout Southern California, but he sees them often--almost every weekend, in fact.

“We go to all the air shows,” said Cibby, of Santa Monica, member of an informal group that calls itself the American Society of Aviation Enthusiasts. “It’s nothing for us to get in the car and drive to Phoenix on the spur of the moment.”

Cibby and four other members of the group got together Sunday to examine the variety of vintage and military aircraft on display at Van Nuys Airport’s annual air show, Aviation Expo-91. The event attracted the largest crowds in its 28-year history--110,000 people Saturday and an estimated 125,000 Sunday, jamming roads near the airport.

The air show saluted Operation Desert Storm. The main attractions clearly were the F-117A Stealth fighter; a Patriot missile system; a display sponsored by Los Angeles City Councilman Joel Wachs, the expo’s grand marshal, and the military personnel themselves.

“I’ve been in three or four parades and participated in a lot of exhibits,” U. S. Army Spec. Michael McClenahan said as he signed an autograph. “But this has been the best yet.”

Desert Storm memorabilia was also selling at a brisk pace. For example, for $5, one could a purchase “official” Desert Storm dog tags.

But it was the display of military aircraft that excited Cibby and his friends.

“I come here every year and this year’s the best yet,” said Dan Stijovich of Riverside. “There’s a lot of military might. It’s awesome.”

Call them air show groupies or propeller buffs, aircraft enthusiasts are mostly middle-aged men who travel thousands of miles each year to discover a new wing design or a rare engine modification. Although some are pilots themselves, many are accountants, engineers and realtors who simply get a kick out of airplanes.

Cibby, Stijovich and the two men with them said they met several years ago at an air show; “we don’t remember which one.”

“You get to talking and the next thing you know, you’re friends,” said Dan Clark of Hawthorne, who drove up to Van Nuys on Sunday with his father, also named Dan. “We’ve taken trips to Texas, even England, to see a special plane.”

As they walked through exhibits, the men ran into Capt. Larry (Chaos) Land, an Air Force pilot one of them had met only two days before when he flew to Las Vegas to look at military aircraft. They chatted like old friends.

Nearby, another group of aircraft enthusiasts talked about the flight they were to take from Burbank to Santa Barbara that afternoon in a privately owned B-25, a World War II-vintage twin-engine plane. Each had paid $200 for the flight.

“It’s going to be the highlight of the day, well worth the money,” said Dave Greenberg of Camarillo.

One of his companions, Ken Freund of Moorpark, a pilot, said he attends every air show he can. “I’ve been to Reno,” he said. “Last year, I took my vacation and went to Oshkosh. I’m always looking for that plane I’ve never seen.”

The air show at Oshkosh, Wis., is one of the nation’s largest, he said.

Freund said the plane he favored this year at Van Nuys was the Stealth. “It’s really something.”

One enthusiast was a participant--not just an observer--in the Van Nuys event this year. Dave Kolstad of Northridge showed off his home-built plane, designed by test pilot Bert Ruttan. At about 700 pounds, the Long East was the smallest aircraft in the show.

“It took me about 3 1/2 years to build it,” said Kolstad, who clearly loves talking about his plane. “I even have a world record.” Kolstad averaged 185.23 m.p.h. from Los Angeles to Guadalajara, Mexico, the best time for an ultra-light plane on that route.