I was super excited to be heading once again down to LAX to participate in Dorkfest and SpotLAX. Sure, a big chunk of the weekend was all about watching planes, but for me it was also about seeing old friends and making some new ones. I have to admit that I ended up missing more than one exciting aircraft because I was socializing, but that was not a bad thing (especially since we were mostly talking about airplanes anyhow).
With the combined events, there was a pretty tight schedule from about 4pm Friday until around 11am Sunday. But it was fun and it was not like you had to do all the things. One of my favorite aspects of the weekend is it’s open for anyone and everyone to experience. You do not need to be media, an influencer, or work for an airline. Sure, some things you need to sign up for, but it’s not a huge challenge if you are prepared.
My AvGeek adventure started on my flight down to LAX. I noticed that seat 18A on my Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 had no seat in front of it. I opted to change my assignment to check out that extra legroom (for science!). Being 6’1”, it was nice having unlimited legroom. One downside is my tray table was in the center armrest. That would have been a pain if there was someone sitting in the seat, but luckily, it was empty. Overall, the experience felt pretty VIP (for economy anyhow).
The official SpotLAX portion of the weekend started on Friday at 4pm at the H Overlook at the H Hotel by LAX, which provides great views of the airport. The event has become very popular over the years (for good reason), and there were about 200 people who came – maxing out the capacity. Even though the official event ended at 9pm, I ended up hanging with some AvGeeks until 11pm before deciding to turn in for the night.
The Dorkfest portion of the events started first thing Saturday morning with the ramp tour of LAX. Although I have been to the main event many times, I have never done the ramp tour and it was very impressive.
This year they had five aircraft on display, parked behind the Flight Path Museum & Learning Center. AvGeeks were able to take photos, check out the planes up close, and even go on interior tours.
United had a 787, Southwest brought their 1776 aircraft, American brought their AirCal 737, and Delta brought their 100 years A321neo.
One of the best parts was being able to walk around and under the planes – even look up into the wheel wells and really explore.
The lines for the planes were long (I am not a fan of lines) and I just didn’t feel like standing in the sun for a long period of time, so I walked around. I also took shade breaks under the wings of the aircraft and what better place to do it?
It was all a bit surreal (in a good way). Not only were there awesome planes, but there was a DJ playing music, donuts, bus tours of the airport, volunteer PUP therapy dogs walking around, and 500 or so AvGeeks with huge smiles on their faces.
Not to mention the constant planes either taking off or taxiing by. One nice bonus we had was an unpainted 747-400F taxi by the group. It gave me AvGeek goose bumps!
When it got close to 11am, it was time to head to the Airplane Viewing View Park, right next to the In-N-Out. Here you could grab a burger and a shake at the In-N-Out and watch planes land just overhead. There were so many AvGeeks – there had to be over 1,000. It was so great seeing so many like-minded people together like that. The two hours just flew by (pun intended).
For dinner, many of us met up at Proud Bird, which not only is aviation-themed, but it also offers great views of aircraft landing. For a special treat, we also got to watch a rocket launch. After dinner, many folks went back to the H Overlook to spot more planes before heading to bed.
Then Sunday was spotting organized by JetTip at Imperial Hill, some folks found other spotting locations, and others started to make their way home.
When I originally was planning my trip months ago, I wanted to do something different. I planned to take the Amtrak Coast Starlight from LA to Seattle. However, it got canceled, so I re-booked for the next day and then that one got canceled too. So, I hustled and ended up flying back – I still got a window seat at least!
Other than the train not working out, this was another great year! If you have been thinking about going, you should! CrankyFlyer has already announced Dorkfest 2027 for September 18th and SPOTLAX2027 will be on the 17th. Mark your calendars – I hope to see you there!
