Wild Blue Wonder

Fresh from a helicopter ride above the northeast San Fernando Valley, Renee Ortiz asked her son Kevin what he wanted to do next at the American Heroes Air Show at the Hansen Dam Sports and Recreation Complex.

“I want to go to the moon,” the 4-year-old replied, jumping skyward.

Well, there weren’t any rockets on hand Saturday at the show, but it featured plenty of other displays that left children wide-eyed.

There were helicopters from the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, just to name a few. There were also police cars and firetrucks, some dating to the 1950s, as far as the eye could see.

Behind the wheel of one of the shiny red trucks sat 2-year-old Spencer Garrett.

His dad, Lance, of Valley Glen snapped pictures as the boy gripped the wheel, pretending to steer.

“What do firemen do? They help people, don’t they?” Lance Garrett asked.

“Yeah,” Spencer said, his eyes fixed on some imaginary road ahead.

“Did we come here to see the firetrucks? And the airplanes?” Lance continued.

“Yeah,” Spencer said. “Yeah.”

The exchange between the father and son seemed to capture the essence of what the American Heroes Air Show was all about. The free show was intended to bolster support for law enforcement, and to provide information about careers in that field and other related occupations.

The LAPD, Highway Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Border Patrol all had information booths set up at the show, which was held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Hopefully, the kids will get an idea as far as future employment opportunities in these fields,” said state Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar), who spoke briefly at the event.

Ian Schonely, 7, of Saugus sat in the cockpit of an LAPD helicopter like the one in which his dad flies.

At his side sat his sister, Megan, 4.

“I’m doing the ‘puter,” the blue-eyed girl said, banging the keyboard of the copter’s on-board computer.

“They love helicopters and airplanes,” said their dad, Jack, a flight officer with the LAPD’s air support division. “They met the Blue Angels a couple of years ago and that was that--they were sold.”

Indeed, young Ian seemed to have his mind made up about what he wants to do when he grows up. Although it’s tough to say how his choice is going to fly with dad.

He wants to be a pilot, but not for the LAPD.

“For the Army!” Ian said. “Because I like Blackhawks. The Army has more helicopters and jets [than the police].”