BRUNSWICK -- A heavy sky and poor visibility prevented the Navy's Blue Angels precision flying team from taking to the air over Brunswick on Saturday, but organizers of the 2008 Great State of Maine Air Show have high hopes for favorable flying conditions today.

"Gates open at 8 a.m., and we will begin flying as soon after 10 a.m. as we can," said John James, spokesman for Brunswick Naval Air Station, the show's host. "The weather actually looks pretty good for (Sunday) afternoon, after the storm moves out."

The show, which organizers say will be the final one for Brunswick, typically draws 100,000 people each day. It began Friday night and concludes today. Admission is free.

Saturday's show still drew tens of thousands of spectators, who were able to watch morning flying routines and a few aerial performances in the early afternoon before fog and clouds put a damper on the flights. Mostly, they munched on fair-style food and queued in long lines to wait their turn for up-close observations of nearly three dozen civilian and military aircraft on display across the base's expansive tarmac.

All the while, they kept their eyes on the sky and hoped for a break in the weather.

But it never came.

"The Blues elected not to fly because of the low ceiling," James said, explaining the late-afternoon decision to scrub the Blue Angels' routine. "They need 2,500 feet. In a pinch, they can do a modified low show at 1,500 feet. We had that at times, but not enough to send them up."

That was disappointing for Ty Mathewson, who came to the show from South Portland with his family. "We're here for the Blue Angels," he said.

Despite not seeing the Navy's heralded flight demonstration team, Mathewson said he was blown away "by that psychotic wing-walking girl." He was referring to Ashley Battles, who rode on the wing of Greg Shelton's red, white and blue bi-plane, zipping past spectators early in the day. "I couldn't believe she did that," he said.

Equally impressed was Rich Balano of Kittery, watching a race between a jet-powered automobile and two airplanes. As the auto roared down the runway at 350 mph, a prop plane zoomed overhead and another approached from the opposite direction. The three converged near the mid-point of the tarmac, and a wall of orange flames and thick black smoke erupted in a spectacular inferno, leaving Balano -- and the rest of the crowd -- in jaw-dropping awe. "That," he said, pausing for emphasis, "was pretty incredible." There was fire elsewhere, as well.

The fire-breathing, car-eating Megasaurus roamed the grounds on Saturday, seeking to satisfy his hunger by devouring junked automobiles. The mechanical, two-clawed monster, standing taller than three stories, delighted the crowd, especially the youngsters, who howled each time the machine belched its fiery breath.

Julio Martinez drove to Brunswick from Oxford for the show. He was playing with his son Nicholas around an F-16 fighter jet when he got word the Blue Angels wouldn't fly.

Like nearly everyone else who turned out on Saturday, he was unhappy to hear the news, but undeterred.

Leading his son away, he said he would be back today.