AT AIR BASE, JETS DELIGHT FLIGHT FANS.

Byline: JIM SKEEN Staff Writer

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE -- They came by the tens of thousands Saturday to see some of the icons of the sky in displays of both military might and aerobatic grace.

And spectators at Edwards Air Force Base's open house and air show weren't disappointed, with fighter jets screaming across the horizon and performances from biplane aerobatics and the precision flying of the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbird team and its F-16s.

``I love it,'' said air show fan John Shoup of Van Nuys. ``I love being here -- Chuck Yeager and all the history here.''

In honor of the watershed event in the base's history -- Yeager's breaking of the sound barrier in 1947 -- the show opened with an F-16 popping a sonic boom.

That was followed by a parachutist from the Army's Golden Knights team dropping onto the flightline while carrying an American flag.

The rest of the Golden Knight team followed, free-falling from an aircraft at speeds of up to 120 mph.

The official crowd count for the air show's first day was just over 37,500, a relatively modest turnout, but officials said this is the first year they have used clickers to try to get a more accurate head count.

Among the crowd were Joseph Strothard and his wife Badria, residents of London.

``I've always liked airplanes and this is a great opportunity to see them,'' said Strothard, who added that seeing the B-2 and the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft were among his highlights.

``I didn't think you (could) get that close, let alone photograph them. I thought the cameras would be taken away,'' he said.

The Schraer family of Lancaster also cruised the show Saturday, including Hugo Schraer Jr., his two sons, Nathan and Benjamin, a niece, Odessa Hallam, and his father Hugo Sr.

The family particularly liked the ``Heritage Flight,'' a formation flight by a P-51 Mustang, an icon of World War II, and three modern jets -- the F-22A, the F-15E and the A-10, also known as the tank killer.

The aircraft flew in formation over the crowd, with the P-51 in the lead.

``You're seeing the greatest propeller-driven aircraft with the greatest jet fighters,'' Hugo Schraer Jr. said.

That was also a highlight for Nathan, 12, who attended the event in a flight suit.

``I liked the F-22 and the P-51. The P-51 was really an important airplane in World War II,'' Nathan Schraer said.

Odessa Hallam, 9, liked seeing the planes flying upside down, but could do without the noise.

``I'm scared of the sonic boom. I could feel it shaking my body,'' she said.

Some performances focused more on grace rather than on raw power, including an aerobatic performance by a Pitts biplane and a performance by a wing walker.

``Wing walking is like dancing with an invisible partner,'' said Margaret Stivers, a wingwalker with the Silver Wings team.

Wesley Maynez of Sylmar came to the air show with his wife, Terri, and their daughter, Ashley, 8.

``I came by myself last year,'' Wesley Maynez said. ``I brought my wife and daughter this year because I wanted them to enjoy it and for my daughter to see what the Air Force is all about. I think they get excited when they hear the roar of the engines and see the aircraft coming.''

But for Terri and Ashley Maynez, the big attraction wasn't in the sky but rather the hangar exhibits that included animal displays from environmental programs at Edwards and the Army's Fort Irwin.

``I held a millipede,'' Ashley Maynez said. ``It felt like a hair brush.''

james.skeen(at)dailynews.com

[phone]

IF YOU GO

The air show continues today with gates opening at 7 a.m. and the first flying performances at 10a.m. Performances will wrap up about 4 p.m. Visitors can enter the base from Rosamond Boulevard off the Antelope Valley Freeway or at the base's north gate off Highway 58. For information, call [phone] or go to www.edwards.af.mil

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Photo:

(1 -- 3) A P-51 Mustang, F-18 Hornet, A-10 Warthog and an F-22 Raptor, above, do a flyby during the air show at Edwards Air Force Base. At right, the famous Thunderbirds perform. Below, people get an up-close look at the B-1 bomber.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

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IF YOU GO (see text)