Hot Wings : Wilting Heat Doesn’t Dampen Crowd’s Delight at El Toro Air Show

Enduring traffic jams, wilting heat and hazy skies, about 500,000 people flocked to the 42nd Annual El Toro Air Show on Saturday to watch a breathtaking demonstration of military power and aviation prowess.

For more than seven hours, their Marine Corps hosts put on a smooth sequence of civilian aerobatics, flight demonstrations and simulated military operations in an event that some say rivals the Paris Air Show. Only one event was canceled due to mechanical problems, and the show finished on schedule.

“It went like clockwork. Everything turned out on our side,” said Lt. Col. Eric Jones, the coordinator of the event. “The winds came up and limited the heat and even the workers had fun. I could not have asked for a better air show than this one.”

The Marine Corps estimated that 500,000 people attended Saturday’s event, a slightly smaller turnout than at last year’s show, which followed the allied victory in the Gulf War. About 1.2 million people went to 1991’s two-day event.

The air show is being held this weekend at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. Today’sevents will begin at 9:05 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. Gates will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

Saturday’s show included more than a dozen displays, including sky-diving, precision flying, and a mock invasion by the Marines. Then the famous Navy Blue Angels filled the sky with a finale of formation flying and maneuvers.

The Golden Knights, the Army’s crack parachute team, opened the day’s events when they jumped out of a transport at almost 13,000 feet. Holding canisters that made trails of red smoke in the sky, they hurtled toward earth at 135 m.p.h. before pulling their rip cords at an altitude of 2,000 feet.

During the 11,000-foot free-fall, team members sailed across the sky and crisscrossed each others’ paths before alighting on the runway.

In a “Salute to Aviation,” formations of aerobatic teams flying old biplanes, newer propeller planes and small jets passed over the runway. Next, a World War II War Bird Review featured a host of vintage military aircraft, including a P-51 Mustang, a B-17 Flying Fortress, an F6F Hellcat, an SBD Dauntless dive bomber, and a British Spitfire.

Along the grassy spectator areas between the runways, people sat on blankets and were dressed for the heat in bikini tops, shorts and sandals. They toted water bottles, wore hats to keep the sun off and sought relief any way they could from the heat, which hovered at about 85 degrees.

At the Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water booth, sales representative Tom Wagenseller served samples to a constant stream of people parched by the sun. He said he was going through four five-gallon bottles about every 10 minutes.

Nearby, several people poured water over the head of a woman who apparently had collapsed from heat exhaustion. Everywhere, spectators tried to find shade. They found it under wings of parked airplanes, tents and observation platforms.

A sweaty Micheline Ovellette of Mission Viejo sat in the gaping cargo bay of a C-5A Galaxy, the largest military transport plane built in the world today. It was like being in the belly of a whale.

“Good shade,” Ovellette said as she sipped a soda and wiped beads of sweat from her brow. She and her husband, Ray, were undaunted. “We live under the flight pattern of El Toro,” she went on. “It’s nice to see them (the aircraft) up close.”

About 12:30 p.m., the Marines shattered the early afternoon calm by staging an assault on the air station. Gray F-18s screamed low over the base to provide air cover as dozens of troops poured out of helicopters and swarmed over the airfield. Concussions from explosions could be felt in the spectator area.

Later, a French couple performed a choreographed session of aerial maneuvers that was set to music and poetry. That delicate display was followed by an Air Force pilot who put his F-16 Fighting Falcon through a simulated dogfight.

“There is a lot of incredible talent here,” said Craig Sears, 46, of Irvine, who rode his bike to the show to avoid the traffic. “The precision is amazing.”

Sears said he enjoyed the high-powered planes and the Marines’ AV-8B Harrier jet, which flies like an airplane and hovers like a helicopter. The innovative attack fighter was put on display and flew in the afternoon.

“The way they hover and go backward, it just doesn’t seem right,” Sears said.

As the day wore on and the temperature rose well into the 80s, people flocked to four medical tents, where they kept a team of Navy doctors and corpsmen busy with complaints of dehydration, heat exhaustion, allergies, bee stings, sunburn and eye irritations from suntan lotions. The pace was rather hectic.

At the lost-and-found center, more than 65 children who had become separated from their parents sat in a shaded area similar to a bullpen. Some were glum. Others were crying. One little boy brought in by MPs was there for three hours before his parents claimed him.

“We had some minor medical problems with the heat and a few who had too much to drink, but other than that, the event has run as planned,” said Lt. Col. Mike Kerrigan, the base provost marshal who oversaw 450 military police assigned to the show.

Because of the heat, Lt. Col. Jones said he arranged to have periodic announcements made reminding spectators to drink plenty of liquids and to watch out for sunburn.

Dressed in an olive drab flight suit, Jones sat in a command post with a bank of telephones in front of him, issuing orders and keeping in touch with the control tower, participants and announcers.

Jones said the show had gone almost as planned, except for hydraulic problems that grounded the F-8 Crusader demonstration for the afternoon. The jet fighter should be repaired for today’s demonstration.

After the morning performance, the show was behind schedule by only 86 seconds, which was made up in the afternoon. Jones credited the precision and preparation of the civilian flyers for getting back on schedule.

In addition to the C-5A Galaxy, a wide array of aircraft and military hardware was on display around the air base. There was the aging B-52 Stratofortress, which has been in service since the 1950s.

Crowds gathered around modern F/A-18 fighter-bombers and an F-14 Tomcat, the mainstays of Marine and Navy aviation. There were CH-53 Sea Stallion and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, along with the ungainly looking OV-10 Bronco, a twin-engine reconnaissance plane.

The biggest draw, however, was a matte black F-117 Stealth fighter built by Lockheed. It was on loan from the 416th “Ghostriders” Squadron stationed at the Air Force base in Tonopah, Nev. Warning signs and soldiers armed with machine guns stood between the famous plane and hundreds of spectators who surrounded it.

“Weird,” people said as they walked by.

“It sure is ugly looking,” said Roland Guerra of Long Beach. “But it was the first thing I came to see when I got to the air show. I remember watching it on television during the Gulf War and I just had to see it.

“You know,” he paused, “it really is beautiful. It did what it was supposed to do in the war.”

The show culminated at 3:20 p.m. with a performance by the Blue Angels, the Navy’s famous precision flying team. They fly the $25-million F-18, one of the newest fighter-bombers in the military.

The team finished with a “fleur de lis,” a complicated maneuver in which all six aviators come together in a tight formation and do a loop. Before they reach the top, two F-18s split off and fly inverted down the runway as the others complete the loop near the ground.

“This is amazing. It’s excellent,” said Macon Pollard, who was holding his 3-year-old daughter on his shoulders. “These guys can fly better than most of us can drive.”

Times staff writer Matt Lait contributed to this report.

Getting In and Out of the Air Show Admission: Free Time: 9:05 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; gates open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parking: Free. Arrive early; lots fill quickly. Information:,726-2100

Want to Avoid the Jam? Take the Bus

Express shuttles will run from two centers. Service begins at 8:30 a.m. with departures every 15 minutes until noon. Fare is $2 each way for adults and children, $1.80 each way for seniors and handicapped. Buses will return immediately after the show; last return bus will depart at 5:30 p.m. Call (714) 636-RIDE for more information.