AEROSPACE OASIS: In these days when “the...

AEROSPACE OASIS: In these days when “the right stuff� is a job, Edwards AFB is pushing the envelope--the pay envelope. While most military and aerospace facilities shrink, the home of the Air Force’s hottest test pilots--and landing ground of the space shuttle--is actually growing slightly (above). . . . Today’s Valley Briefing (B5) details the finances, the drama and the history of the famous base.

TOO SMART: An overzealous early bird can find the worm still snug abed. Some Valley residents, fearful of Thanksgiving travel chaos, showed up at Burbank Airport on Tuesday, ready for battle. What they found was somewhat less crowding than normal. . . . “I was terrified coming here that there would be huge lines and there’s not a soul here,� said Chris Bray, who arrived so early that ticket agents offered him an earlier flight.

ONE-TWO PLAY: For 35 years, the number of twins has been growing and so, naturally, there are more twins in high school athletics. While most play side-by-side, some “individuate�--heading off to separate lives on separate teams at separate schools. . . . A special report is in Sports (C1).

GREEN ZONE: The parking concession at Van Nuys Airport, along with LAX and Ontario, is back in the political arena. For the second time this year, the airport commission picked a company that failed to win the endorsement of an outside advisory commission (B4). . . . That concession is worth $52 million.

NO PONIES: You think you’re busy? Try Rich Corso, who has the equivalent of three jobs--one of them coach of the U. S. national water polo team. Then he’s also an admissions official at Harvard-Westlake School in Studio City, where he coaches the water polo team (C10). . . . In other countries, national team coaches get six-figure annual salaries with a Mercedes thrown in; Corso gets $7,000 a year, and drives a pickup.

Edwards Employees

In spite of military cutbacks nationwide, the number of employees at Edwards Air Force Base has increased since 1989: (In thousands) ‘93: 15,184 Source: Edwards Air Force Base