For Air Show and Aficionados, Things Looking Up in Van Nuys

Camped just a few hundred yards from a Van Nuys Airport runway, Keith and Sharon Thomas of Sun Valley relaxed amid a two-day supply of food and water, flashlights, blankets, pillows and lounge chairs.

With their radio tuned in to the airport tower, they had to scream to hear one another. Their sons Chris, 12, and Josh, 11, had given up talking, drowned out by the high-pitched, nerve-racking whine of jets and the thunderous clap of helicopters.

Not exactly the brochure-perfect, idyllic summer getaway. But for the Thomases, the preliminaries to Aviation Expo ’97 at the Van Nuys Airport were paradise.

“We’ve been coming to the air shows for years, ever since the boys were born!” Sharon Thomas shouted Friday, during the momentary lulls in arrivals of some of the most sophisticated and unusual aircraft in the world. “But this is the first time we have come out to watch them come in! It’s a real thrill!”

The Cold War may be over and the region’s aerospace industry on the wane, but 150,000 people attended the annual Van Nuys air show Saturday, according to organizers. An even higher turnout is expected today.

Even before the show began, several dozen wannabe aviators, like the Thomases, had camped out overnight Friday to ensure themselves the best possible views.

Air shows have become increasingly popular, according to the International Council of Air Shows.

When the council was formed 29 years ago, “there were maybe a half-dozen air shows in the country,” said Theresa Hamilton, program services director of the Washington association.

“It has blossomed from that and is still growing. It is definitely still growing,” Hamilton said.

There are now more than 450 air shows held each year across the continent, drawing more than 27 million spectators annually, she said.

The El Toro Air Show, held in April at the Marine Corps Air Station in Orange County and long considered the “granddaddy of them all,” drew 2 million spectators to its 47th--and final--show this year. The base is scheduled to close in 1999.

The Van Nuys show was also one of the early ones, launched by the California Air National Guard in 1963, then taken over by the Los Angeles Department of Airports when the Guard moved to Oxnard in 1989.

*

The popularity of the local event, the only air show in Los Angeles County, was evident Saturday as streets surrounding the airport were bottled up with traffic and pedestrians. Cars lined nearby residential streets for blocks around, despite barricades that were designed to block off areas.

“It’s growing tremendously, but I’m not quite sure why,” Ron Kochevar, airport general manager, said of the air show. “Maybe it’s because of the number of aircraft on display and their complexity.” More than 75 airplanes and helicopters are showcased this year, up from 50 last year.

“We’re also trying to make it more user friendly,” he added. More free parking and shuttle buses were added this year, as well as additional telephones, portable toilets and a large hangar where spectators can rest in the shade. Three tents with water misters were popular stops Saturday after the sun peeked out from a high cloud cover shortly after noon.

Earth-shaking, adrenaline-boosting thrills seem to be high on the list of why air shows endure.

“I get a tremendous sense of independence and freedom just watching them,” said Dan Hicks, 45, of San Antonio as a sleek F-16 Falcon taxied by, revving the engine as a salute to the crowd.

A minister who formerly served in Van Nuys, Hicks said he was in town visiting his daughters and decided to drop by the airport. “I used to come here to do devotions,” he said. “It’s a thrill to imagine that kind of power, defying gravity.”

Statistically, air shows draw a greater percentage of men than women--57% to 43%, according to the international council. More than a third of the spectators have college or postgraduate degrees, and half of the audience nationwide has an annual household income exceeding $35,000, surveys have found. All age ranges are fairly equally represented.

Jon Brown, 41, a Beverly Hills film producer and personal manager, was at the show Saturday with his 5-year-old son. He said he regularly attends air shows because the display of military power “makes me glad I am in America and have a lot of security.”

“It makes me feel patriotic,” he added, as a team of helicopters flew over, dropping red, white and blue fire retardant.

Brown’s wife dropped them off at the show--avoiding the hassle of parking--but was spending her time at a beauty parlor. “Too much octane for her here,” Brown said.

The technology of the aircraft and their capabilities fascinates Eric Steinhauer, 43, of Woodland Hills, who returns with his family every year. “That one I could go for,” he said, pointing to a plane doing loops and spirals overhead.

Joyce Bethke of Santa Clarita, a playground supervisor and single mother, returned to the show for the fourth year Saturday with her two sons, ages 14 and 7. She said the show “is interesting, a good experience for kids, plus it’s free.” Her oldest son, Brandon, who was waiting for an autograph from the pilot of an F-14 Tomcat, said he hopes someday to fly.

After marching about the grounds for hours, Stephanie Carnaha, 9, of Mission Hills announced that the plane she liked most was the Pacific Airlines passenger model parked to one side of the field. “It’s fancy inside and they give you stickers,” she said.

Valerie Bottlo of Sherman Oaks, whose husband is a pilot, said she brought several of her girlfriends because they enjoy the aerobatics and other aviation entertainment.

“Besides,” said an obviously prejudiced Bottlo, “there are really cute pilots here who all look like Ken dolls.”