El Toro Officials Estimate Million Landed at Show

Living up to its name, the sleek, eerily quiet B-2 Stealth bomber swooped past hundreds of thousands of awe-struck spectators Saturday, covering a huge piece of sky with its bizarre, bat-like structure and adding a dramatic flourish to the 47th and final El Toro Air Show.

There was little room in this crowd of military hardware enthusiasts for concerns about the B-2’s $2.2-billion price tag, or its recent difficulties performing in training flights. The bomber, making its first and only appearance at El Toro, was clearly a hit and one reason Marine Corps officials estimated they drew nearly 1 million spectators Saturday.

“It looks like something out of ‘Star Wars,’ but this is reality, ladies and gentleman,” an announcer’s voice boomed as the bomber passed over acres of tarmac and open field, which by midafternoon was crawling with sunbaked spectators hunting for shade.

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Then, a recording of “The Star-Spangled Banner” rang out as many stood to watch the bomber make its second and final pass.

It was a highlight in a day of daredevil maneuvers in old biplanes and modern jet fighters, and stunts by paratroopers performed over a crowd already nostalgic for the show and the base, which is due to close in mid-1999.

“I don’t know what I’ll do next year. Cry, I guess,” said Dario Moreno of Stanton, who came with his wife and two children for the sixth year in a row, and was prepared with a tarp, a cooler and beach chairs. “It’s just an awesome thing to see these planes.”

The final day of the air show will be today. Gates open at 7 a.m. The public is urged to arrive early to avoid the traffic jams that clogged the base entrances and exits Saturday. Many motorists reported hourlong delays getting into--and off of--the base.

Elsewhere at the air show, grandparents and their charges poked through stationary exhibits of aircraft covering a span of 70 years, veterans stopped to point out planes they once piloted, and eager would-be recruits ran their hands over jets they hoped to someday maneuver.

Scotty Roberts, a former Marine pilot who now flies for American Airlines, brought his own T-28 Trojan, a popular training craft first built in the mid-1950s and used up to 10 years ago. Roberts, who stores the bright orange propeller plane in Chino, said it had drawn a steady stream of nostalgic pilots throughout the day.

As if on cue, Chuck Nettles of Newport Beach, who once flew for the Marine Corps, walked up admiringly. “A Trojan,” he said, nodding his head. “Yep, that was the second plane I ever took up.”

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Also taking in the impressive display of aircraft, ranging from WWII vintage fighters to a state-of-the-art F-117A Nighthawk Stealth fighter, was Ron Ferrari, a veteran who was blinded in the Gulf War.

Ferrari, 29, of Downey, who was assisted by his guide dog, Sasha, said he began coming to the air shows before his Gulf War stint and still enjoyed the variety. He was particularly excited about the appearance of the Stealth bomber.

“I like the static displays because I can feel the curves of the planes,” he said.

To take advantage of the enthusiasm whipped up by Saturday’s show, Navy and Air Force recruiters were out in force.

“It just inspires people,” said Aaron Clark, a Navy recruiter at Mission Viejo, who said he expected 5,000 potential recruits to stop by during the day. “Anyone who’s smart, we want to talk to them,” recruiter Terry R. Boyer added, with the caveat that he can’t guarantee any recruit will get to be a pilot. “But I can get their career path started.”

In the yawning cargo hold of the C-5 Galaxy transport plane, six stories tall and nearly as long as a football field, hundreds of spectators stopped to rest in the cool shade, and to marvel that such a large piece of machinery can get off the ground.

Among them was Chung Vu, 50, of Huntington Beach, who has brought his son Vince, now 14, to the show for the last 10 years. Vu was an infantry commander for South Vietnam before being evacuated in 1975, and he remembered many of the planes and helicopters around him from the war days.

Memories included the C-5 cargo plane as well. The last time he saw one in action was in the final days of the Vietnam War, when a C-5 crew tried to evacuate an orphanage, only to be shot down and killed.

“It was a painful time,” said Vu, “but a long time ago. Now I come because I admire the technology. I just like to look at the planes.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Approach Control for the El Toro Air Show

Traffic Conditions

* Highway advisory radio station, AM 530, will broadcast traffic conditions.

* Southbound motorists are advised to take the Santa Ana Freeway and exit Culver Drive, Jeffrey Road or Sand Canyon Avenue (if early). Northbound, use Santa Ana Freeway to Alton Parkway.

* Irvine Boulevard and Trabuco Road from Jeffrey Road will become one-way access roads into the base.

* Sand Canyon Avenue will be closed between Trabuco Road and Portola Parkway.

* Jeffrey Road will be closed between Trabuco Road and Irvine Boulevard.

After the Show’s Finale

Irvine Boulevard, Astor, Marine Way and Trabuco Road will only allow traffic to leave the air station.

Road Closures

7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

* Barranca Parkway: Ada Street to Alton Parkway, both directions

* Irvine Boulevard: Alton Parkway to Sand Canyon, both directions

2:30 to 7 p.m.

* Sand Canyon Avenue: At Burt Road northbound

3:15 to 7 p.m.

* Trabuco Road: Yale Avenue to Sand Canyon eastbound

* Jeffrey Road: Walnut Avenue to Trabuco Road northbound

* Santa Ana Freeway: Sand Canyon northbound and southbound offramps

* Santa Ana Freeway: Jeffrey Road northbound offramp

Where to Sit

General admission: Free. Lawn chairs, strollers and coolers, but no glass containers allowed on grassy areas between airstrips.

Preferred Seating: $10 to $15. Lawn chairs, strollers and coolers prohibited. Tickets may be purchased at El Toro.

Schedule

A.M.

7:00 Gates open

8:45 Warbirds; N9MB Flying Wing

9:11 Rocky Hill (Extra 300)

9:22 Ken Brock (gyroplane)

9:33 John Piggott (SU-29)

9:48 Dan Buchanan (hang glider)

10:01 Jim Cheatham (show copters)

10:15 Steve Stavrakakis (Zlin 50)

10:28 Bret Willat (glider)

10:39 Navy F-14 Tomcat

10:53 Jim Franklin and Lee Oman (Waco UPF-7 wing-walking)

11:10 Patty Wagstaff (BF Goodrich 300S)

11:23 Sierra Aces (Pitts S2B)

11:30 Commanding general’s welcome

11:45 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band performs

Noon Navy Leap Frog demonstration

P.M.

12:30 Marine Air/Ground Task Force demonstration

1:06 Bud Light Micro Jet (BD-5)

1:21 UPS fly-by (757)

1:28 Jan Collmer (Fina Extra 300L)

1:43 Bill Reeseman (MiG-17)

1:56 Wayne Handley (Raven)

2:00 Air Force B-2 fly-by (Saturday only)

2:07 Red Barons (A-75 biplanes)

2:25 Air Force F-16 demonstration

2:36 Chuck Lischer (Janes F-260)

2:50 Marine Corps AV-8B demonstration

3:00 Blue Angels (F/A-18)

4:15 Show concludes