ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- A suspect weather forecast didn't seem to do much to keep people away from the Robins Air Show held last weekend.

An estimated 75,000 people attended each day, which is a little unusual because normally more people attend on Saturday. At the last show in 2006, 90,000 people attended on Saturday and 30,000 on Sunday.

Maj. Dan Badia, who coordinated the performers for the show, said the reason for the increase on Sunday may have something to do with the economy. Air shows, including the Robins Air Show, are usually free.

"Air show attendance is up dramatically nationwide," he said.

The forecast called for a chance of thunderstorms, but while the skies were cloudy for much of the weekend, the rain held off. The clouds did affect some of the performances, which had to be adjusted for the low-altitude visibility, Maj. Badia said. But the crowd didn't appear to notice much difference.

"Everybody we talked to seemed to be happy," he said. "We had great weather. We really lucked out."
Darlene Walls of Woodstock came to the show with her 7-year-old son, Cyrus. He's a Boy Scout and camped out with some other scouts the Friday before Saturday's show.

"They've been having a great time," she said.

James Strickland, a civilian in the 542nd Combat Sustainment Group at Robins, said he has been to every air show at Robins since he started working here in 1989. He works on aircraft components every day, so it's gratifying to him to watch the planes in action.
"It's nice to see the airplanes you support," he said.

The show began with the Army's Golden Knights skydiving team dropping to the runway in gold and black parachutes as red smoke trailed behind them.

That was followed by a full day of performances that included a spectrum of military aircraft from World War II to present day. An F-15 Strike Eagle and an F-18 Hornet gave demonstrations of the flight capabilities of two of the military's most advanced jets.

Attendees got a window into the past with flights from World War II-era planes from both the Commemorative Air Force and the Geico Skytypers. The Skytypers demonstrated combat flying techniques with their squadron of six SNJ-2s. The Peachtree City-based Dixie Wing of the Commemorative Air Force reenacted the Battle of Midway with vintage planes that included the B-25 Mitchell bomber, a replica Japanese Zero, a Japanese Kate bomber, an SBD Dauntless and two SNJs.

Ed Hamill, an F-16 instructor pilot in the Air Force Reserves, wowed the crowd with acrobatics in his Air Force Reserve Dream Machine, a factory-built, unmodified biplane based on a 1950s biplane blueprint.

Also performing was the Army's Sky Soldiers Precision Flight Demonstration Team, which showed off the capabilities of the AH-1F Cobra Attack Helicopter.

But the highlight of the show came last with the performance of the Air Force Thunderbirds. The team of six pilots, flying at times with wingtips inches apart, performed numerous acrobatic maneuvers in the F-16s they flew.

The hundreds of people who chose to watch the aerial show from outside the gates missed a lot of popular attractions on the inside. Several planes on static display, including giant C-5 and C-17 cargo aircraft were open for crowds to walk through. Those and other planes maintained at Robins also did flybys for the crowd.

Very long lines formed as attendees were allowed to walk through other planes, including the E-8C Joint STARS aircraft flown by the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins.

However, the planes on display didn't just come from the Air Force. Larry Kelley of the Disabled American Veterans flew to the show in a B-25 he put on display. He talked with attendees about the group's efforts to help veterans as they examined the plane.

"I always love going back to the South to do air shows," he said. "The people are so friendly and the staff has just been outstanding. I don't think I've ever been asked so many times 'Is there anything I can do for you?'"

Major Badia said it takes hundreds of volunteers to put on the show, along with a momentous effort from base personnel.
"You name the organization and they had a hand in it," he said.

But despite all the work it takes, he said he hopes to return to having the show more often, perhaps every other year as in the past.