Despite having gone to LAX many times to shoot and being aware of the Flightpath Learning Center, a museum about LAX located on the south side of the field, I had never been there before. When visiting with Pete, we were a bit more determined to see what it had to offer. Sadly, we got there at about 2:45 and the place closes at 3:00. Even so, we did have a quick look around in the time available. We even got to see a Singapore Airlines A380 depart from 25R as it rotated right outside the windows. Unfortunately, as seems to have been a theme on this trip, I was not carrying a camera.
The docents at the museum were very friendly and explained a little of the history of the collection and I decided I should go back again. The following day, Pete was on the crew for the return to London and I was due to fly back to Oakland. I decided to get everything ready ahead of returning my rental car and then go to Flightpath to spend some time prior to the trip home.
They have a DC-3 out in front of the museum which you can go inside. It is configured as a corporate transport for Union Oil and looks pretty neat. You can also stand outside their building under supervision and shoot the arrivals and departures. The location is a little closer to the thresholds of the 25 runways so it has a better view of some operations that can be achieved at Imperial Hill. The low shooting angle also provides a different perspective to the norm.
The museum itself has a lot of information on LAX and the operators there. They have a great selection of models, uniforms and memorabilia from the various airlines that have been based there. To see how LAX has evolved over the years is quite interesting. All of this is provided free of charge so is certainly worth a visit if you have some free time.