AIR SHOW VISITORS IMPRESSED.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - Cloudy skies and predictions of showers kept the crowd down Saturday as Edwards Air Force Base opened its gates to the general public for the first time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Some 175,000 people attended the base's air show and open house, watching aerial demonstrations and parachute jumps and gawking at planes ranging from World War II models to those representing the Air Force's future.

``We come every year. We look forward to it,'' said visitor John Merrks of Rosamond. ``Our kids like watching the planes. We really like the tours.''

Despite the predictions of showers, Saturday's weather was cool but dry. People wore light sweaters or T-shirts and light jackets. Most carried umbrellas - just in case.

Because of concerns after last year's terrorist attacks - which canceled the 2001 air show - security was much tighter but was not a problem for visitors.

Military personnel directed visitors' cars to a dry lake bed parking area, farther than in past years from base aircraft and buildings. Buses took visitors to the flight line, where they had to pass through metal detectors. Large ice chests were forbidden.

``It (security) is not as bad as expected,'' said Eric Carpman of Los Angeles. ``We left early because we thought it would take forever to get in, but it wasn't that bad at all.''

Officials said the air show was running smoothly, but they wished they had more visitors.

``The turnout was very good. I'm happy with it, but it could have been higher,'' said base spokesman John Haire.

``It was an excellent air show, and Edwards is coming through in their normal excellent fashion,'' he said.

Among the show's big attractions were an unprecedented opportunity to see four aircraft of the Air Force's future - Lockheed Martin's F/A-22 Raptor and the X-35B joint strike fighter prototype, the computer-controlled Northrop Grumman Global Hawk reconnaissance plane and Boeing's X-45 unmanned combat aircraft.

It was the first flight at an air show for the F/A-22.

All are undergoing tests or have been tested at the 301,000-acre base, which for more than 50 years has been the Air Force's premier flight test center.

``I have never seen anything like it,'' said Kylee Marris of New York, who was on her third trip to the air show. ``That (the F/A-22) is the coolest thing I've ever seen. It's fast and sleek, and it looks great.''

Two famous pilots from Edwards' past made appearances Saturday.

Chuck Yeager, who in 1947 at Edwards became the first pilot to fly faster than the speed of sound, and former X-15 rocket plane pilot Joe Engle flew F-15 Eagles to crack sonic booms at the air show's start.

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6 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color in AV edition only -- ran in AV and SAC edition only) A vintage F-8F Bearcat flies alongside an F-18 Hornet during the Edwards Air Force Base open house Saturday.

(2 -- color in AV edition only -- ran in AV and SAC edition only) Crowds enjoyed aircraft on display as well as flight demonstrations at the Edwards Air Force Base open house.

(3 -- 4 -- color; 3 ran in AV edition only; 4 color in AV edition only -- 4 ran in AV and SAC edition only) At left, Cole Reynolds, 4, sits atop his father John's shoulders plugging his ears against the roar of jet engines during flight demonstrations. Retired Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, right, rates a salute as he steps down from his F-15 after his final supersonic flight in a military airplane at EAFB.

(5 -- color in AV edition only) Retired Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, right, is congratulated by state Sen. William ``Pete'' Knight, R-Palmdale, after his final supersonic flight in a military plane Saturday.

(6 -- color in AV edition only) A test parachutist leaps from a C-17 at the Edwards Air Force Base open house.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer