CHANGING SCENES: The El Toro Marine Corps...

CHANGING SCENES: The El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, facing closure by the end of the decade, will be the scene of the solemn arrival of the body of former President Richard Nixon on Tuesday afternoon. But by the weekend, the mood will shift, as a million people are expected for the annual three-day air show. A pilot’s death marred last year’s event, but officials say they’re ready for any emergencies. The show, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, is free. Gates open two hours beforehand.

BLUES ARE BACK: If you attended the air show last year, you missed seeing the Blue Angels, the Navy/Marine flight demonstration team, known for breathtaking maneuvers. But they headline in their return this year. Says Larry Mutz, consultant for the air show: “When the Blues do their solos, the oohs and ahs from the crowd are the loudest all day.” . . . New acts include the U.S. Navy Parachute Team and the civilian GI Joe Skydiving Team.

PILOT’S SEAT: This is Mutz’s 14th year running the spectacle. He hadn’t expected to be back after retiring from his Department of Defense civilian job two years ago. “I moved to Tennessee to kick back and fish,” Mutz says. “But when the general called, I couldn’t say no.” . . . It’s 10 arduous weeks of work, but Mutz, 47, says it’s worth it: “It’s in my blood. There’s nothing to compare to the expression on youngsters’ faces when they see those jets overhead.”

GROUND MANEUVERS: The only bad part of going to the air show is fighting traffic to and from. The California Highway Patrol recommends that visitors from the south exit the Santa Ana Freeway at Jeffrey Road or Culver Drive, rather than Sand Canyon Avenue, which is bound to be choked. . . . From the north, take the Alton Parkway exit. After that, don’t worry: “We’re going to have lots of CHP and Irvine police directing people,” says the CHP’s Angel Johnson. “It’ll be fairly easy to know which way to go.” . . . But she warns: “Don’t stop on the freeway to watch the show, because we’re going to give tickets for non-emergency stopping.”