Record Crowd Flocks to Air Show

A second day of earsplitting, pulse-pounding flight entertained a record crowd of nearly 135,000 Saturday at the 36th annual Point Mugu Air Show.

Onlookers stretched out on blankets and huddled in lawn chairs against a cold wind as they were treated to daylong performances by top fighter jets, stunt planes and parachute jumpers.

When two sleek F-14s screamed across the sky, afterburners aglow, some onlookers covered their heads to keep out the deafening noise and headed to the 50-cent earplug stand.

But not Navy test pilot David “Haggis” Karger.

“Oh yeah, look at that,” he said, smiling. “It’s a real good day for a high-speed pass. There are certain thrills that never wear off in this business, and that is one.”

This year, the three-day show at the Point Mugu Naval Air Station includes demonstrations by a variety of military aircraft and civilian stunt planes.

But for Karger, who was there to answer questions about aircraft, the highlight was watching his own planes take to the sky.

As a member of the elite VX-9 squadron based at Point Mugu, Karger regularly puts the F-14 through its paces--he was flying one off the coast just a few days ago.

But the 36-year-old pilot said the rush that comes from watching one of those $40-million birds tear across the horizon is even better from the ground.

“As a pilot, you don’t feel that raw power,” he said. “Most people think your hair is blowing back. [But] it’s not like driving a race car.”

Saturday’s air show attendees started trickling in late in the morning, lining the fences around the tarmac to get a better look at the Warbirds and Tomcats.

By midafternoon, the crowd had swelled to a record number, according to Navy officials.

“It’s the largest crowd in the 36-year history of the Point Mugu Air Show,” said base spokeswoman Cora Fields, who credited the turnout to “good planning and a great lineup of performers.”

Fair weather also helped.

Early morning fog burned off by 10 a.m., allowing the event to start on time. And though clouds drifted in and out all day, it was clear enough for the Blue Angels to put on a spectacular performance as the day’s finale.

Parents and children craned their necks to get a better look at the Navy’s elite flight demonstration team, which uses F-18 Hornets to execute dangerously close fly-bys and carve diamond-pattern aerial formations.

Earlier in the day, 8-year-old Connor and 6-year-old Devry Reitz of Camarillo--who had been at the air show on Friday as well--climbed into the cockpit of a mock F-4 to get their pictures taken, complete with yellow crash helmets.

Asked what it felt like to be at the controls of a fighter jet, Connor shrugged.

“It looks old and dusty,” he said. “My helmet wouldn’t fit.”

The air show concludes today. Admission and parking are free.