It’s been 10 years nowI keep hearing about the SpotLAX incident. Every year, I sit at home and stare at all the photos and read about the events. Makes me very envious! When the date for the SpotLAX2023 10th anniversary event was released, I realized it was time to actually attend the event.
The ANA R2D2 special livery is a highlight of Thursday's arrival ahead of SpotLAX2023.
I had only been to Los Angeles once before, and that was over ten years ago. On that trip, I spent a few hours at the Proud Bird restaurant. I remember just looking in amazement at all the different airlines and aircraft compared to what I usually photograph. This time, I'm going to make sure to make the most of the time I have available to me. So, I booked the first flight out Thursday morning. Since I had booked my flight months in advance, I was waiting for this day to finally arrive.
Finally, Thursday morning arrived. I left home at 4:30 a.m. and headed to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to catch the first JetBlue flight of the morning to Los Angeles International Airport. The 5.5 hour flight only added to the excitement of reaching our destination. Finally, there are the magical words of the crew: “Welcome to Los Angeles. The local time is 9:20 am. Because we arrived early, we have to wait 15 minutes to board the plane.” Yes, every excitement must be There are slight hiccups.
Hawaiian Airlines' A321neo fleet is one of its only fleets to be unveiled during SpotLAX2023.
Before I knew it, I had retrieved my luggage and picked up my rental car. Then I started my first day of taking lots of photos with my camera shutter. I spent the rest of Thursday catching up with friends I'd only talked to online but meeting in person for the first time, and made a lot of new friends who shared my passion for aviation.
I also spent a few hours on Thursday Flying over the airport in a helicopter checked an item off my bucket list. Another big decision I made for this trip was booking a room at the H Hotel in Los Angeles. There is a deck at the top of the hotel dedicated to watching planes take off and land at Los Angeles International Airport. Getting a room on the same level as the deck is also a huge bonus. I can get from my room to the deck in under a minute!
This UPS MD-11F makes the drive to Ontario International Airport worth it.
After spending the rest of Thursday night helping prepare for the weekend's activities, it was time to go to bed. Friday morning I woke up before dawn. A small group of us decided to drive to Ontario International Airport. There, I had probably my last chance to photograph the UPS MD-11 before it was retired. While we were in the area we also visited the Hall of Fame Museum in Chino.
Back in LA and back at the hotel, had the opportunity to meet lots and lots of people. It was also the first time I met someone I had been talking to for years.
The official opening ceremony of SpotLAX2023 was held on the top deck of H Hotel. This is the first ever SpotLAX opening night viewing party. What a wonderful thing that is. with crew Airline live video About 200 aviation enthusiasts gathered at the broadcast in a corner of the deck. There was food and drinks and lots of people sharing experiences and discussing all things aviation. On top of this there was an amazing prize draw which made some people, including myself, very happy when they won prizes.
The Saturday morning event is one year older than the SpotLAX event. grumpy person Annual Grumpy Barbeque Festival. Picture this: some 400 aviation enthusiasts gather in a park outside the famous Sepulveda In-n-Out Hamburg. The crowd watched flights take off and land at Los Angeles International Airport while talking business with various aviation enthusiasts. This is another opportunity to meet old friends we haven’t seen for many years and make new ones. Of course, I was also able to enjoy some delicious In-n-Out burger food.
The Cranky Dorkfest crowd gathered to hear who won some of the amazing raffle prizes that were donated.
Then there was another afternoon spent shooting hundreds of exposures on the top floor of Hotel H. Later, the annual SpotLAX dinner was held at The Proud Bird, the best restaurant around the airport. There I enjoyed another great evening of eating, drinking, raffle prizes and discussing all things aviation.
A Korean Air 747-8i can be seen from the rooftop deck of the H Hotel during SpotLAX2023.
Sunday morning came and it was time to leave this amazing hotel that served as my base while in Los Angeles. Then it was time to head over to donuts and coffee provided by JetTip. The event was held at LAX's other iconic viewing location: Clutters Park. In the aircraft observation community, it is better known as “Monarch Mountain.” Early clouds gave way to bright Southern California sunshine. The morning turned into a perfect photography day.
With the temperatures rising and the heat haze setting in, people were starting to leave after a great weekend and some of us headed back to the Proud Bird restaurant to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Soon it was time to shower, change clothes and head to the airport in person to catch the red-eye flight home. I have to admit, by the end of Sunday, I was snapped and ready to go home.
It wasn’t just SpotLAX2023 attendees that were seen at The Proud Bird on Sunday afternoon, there were also many families coming to enjoy the atmosphere.
It was the most amazing and enjoyable weekend. I think every aviation enthusiast should enjoy this at least once. There are also some personal observations. First of all, it’s great to see so many younger generation enthusiasts. Young people from 4 years old all the way up to teenagers participated in the event. They can be seen running from one corner of the roof deck to the other trying to film everything. Secondly, the aviation community is one of the most dedicated and friendly communities you could wish for. People were willing to help others all weekend long. Finally, I'm sure I'll be meeting a lot of these wonderful people for many years to come!
