From PCMAG · Rob Pegoraro · · 1m 20s
Why I Flew to LAX to Look at Airplanes
Author flies to LAX for airplane spotting event with strangers.
In brief
Author flies to LAX for airplane spotting event with strangers. Author attended Cranky Dorkfest, a 15-year-old airplane spotting event at LAX with over 1,400 RSVPs and 500+ attendees. Originally reported by PCMAG.
Why I Flew to LAX
Author flew 2,300 miles to LAX for airplane spotting event with strangers.
Cranky Dorkfest Event
Cranky Dorkfest started in 2011 at an In-N-Out Burger near LAX Runway 24R.
Event Growth
Dorkfest now includes partner events with Los Angeles World Airports and NYC Aviation.
Attendee Numbers
750 people attended ramp visit with 500+ on waitlist.
Aircraft Displayed
American Airlines Airbus A321XLR, Delta A321neo, Southwest 737 Max 8, United Boeing 787-9.
SpotLAX Event
SpotLAX party sold 230 $25 tickets in 4.5 hours.
Wear Aviation Shirts
Attendees wore airport-themed shirts and jokes about airplane enthusiasm.
Use Flightradar24
Flightradar24 app tracks planes with free ad-supported version and premium at $14.99/year.
Camera Tips
High-end phones have 4x-5x zoom but D-SLRs with telephoto lenses needed for close shots.
SpaceX Launch
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base to deliver Starlink satellites.
Talk to Strangers
Attendees discussed airports, travel goals, and rocket launches with strangers.
The takeaway
Author attended Cranky Dorkfest, a 15-year-old airplane spotting event at LAX with over 1,400 RSVPs and 500+ attendees.
