L A X

As many of you know, Los Angeles International Airport has a special place in my heart and its history, from the early days when it was just grass fields to today, is fascinating.

This picture of the Tom Bradley terminal is from a few days ago, courtesy of our daughter. cool She and a friend went on a photo mission since there was a “super moon” and she thought the airport would be a great place to get some cool shots. She said she couldn't resist capturing the ever-present energy and motion of the loop inside the airport too while she was there.

Just across from this terminal building, on top of the parking structure, there used to be a heliport. Many years ago I was lucky enough to land there to pick up Mrs. Pilot and our then very young daughter when they arrived stateside after a long overseas flight. The 747 they were on had just touched down on runway 25R below me as I crossed overhead and midfield. The helicopter arrival procedure was unique and specific since the final approach put me tightly between a pair of two major runways on either side.

Of course I had kept the helicopter pickup a secret so when we got to the elevator in the parking structure my family didn't know anything about the helicopter standing by on the rooftop. Being able to pull off this surprise and seeing their reaction made me so happy. Unfortunately, since then, this very centrally located landing pad fell victim to all the major reconstruction and modernization projects at LAX.

I’m sure it will all look and function great once it’s finished, and hopefully the fancy new people mover and Metrolink connection will help alleviate traffic in the loop, but it’s sad knowing that a place that held fond personal memories is no longer there.

In a similar vein, some of you may remember the photos in this thread (page 6) of the iconic LAX theme building that had been freshly renovated and retrofitted for earthquake safety. It was home to the fun and futuristically styled Encounter Restaurant, which offered great views of arriving and departing airplanes. For reasons unknown to me, it was closed down as well. It is so sad to see it dark and abandoned. We loved going there, it had almost a Jetsons feel to it.

It’s amazing, isn’t it, how much a single photo can bring up in terms of memories and emotions?


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If I don't fly, I drive my .:RS :)