I’m pretty sure I was 10 or 11 years old the last time I was in Los Angeles. Back then, I knew my parents met as flight attendants and I knew my dad was in the Air Force, but I didn’t have even an ounce of interest in aviation. I do remember falling in love with the brightly colored glass pylons and the massive “LAX” outside the airport though – you know, the things a preteen girl should appreciate.
Now, roughly 20 years later – I’m going back. And I am FLIPPING OUT. As the second-busiest airport in the country, LAX is TEEMING with heavies. Of course I know this from following dozens of Los Angeles-based plane spotters on social media, but, as one might expect, I also enjoy a good LAX air traffic control tower listening session – that stuff really hits the spot and soothes me after a hard day’s work.
While I love the heck out of the Twin Cities, you just don’t get the diversity here at MSP that you get at LAX or JFK or any of those biggies… you just don’t. Anytime I’m ANYWHERE close to planes, someone says to me, “You’re just like a kid in a candy store, aren’t you?” And I just stare back at them stupidly agape with an ear-to-ear grin and nod. But this is going to take the cake… I just know it. This will be me if the world suddenly crumbled into a pile of raisinets and I was sitting on top of it. This will be huge. Yuge.
I should mention, the real reason my husband and I are traveling to Los Angeles this weekend is to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. Yet somehow, all I can do is imagine what it will be like the first time I set eyes on an A380 (sorry Scott…). He understands though. And I appreciate his patience with me more than he’ll ever know.
BUT, I should mention, we do have lots of romantic things planned, like Scott getting In-N-Out Burger while I photograph planes from the fast food restaurant that just happens to be a prime-spotting location – I’m a vegetarian… what can I say? Or what about our possible trip out to one of the two aircraft “boneyards” in the area – I mean… incapacitated British Airways 747s and FedEx 727s SCREAM “Romance!” to me… AMIRIGHT?
All in all, I think this is going to be one heck of a trip. I really can’t wait to share it with you all through photos and stories. Until then…
The Great Planes 