I’ve decided to really plan ahead this year. It may only be June, but I’m already setting the date for the annual Crankyspotting Dorkfest at LAX on September 28. This year, it’s a two part event, and I really hope you guys enjoy this. I’m getting excited already.
Part 1 at In ‘n Out
The first part will be the usual spotting at the In ‘n Out by LAX. I’ll plan on being there from 11a to 1p, ready to watch airplanes, talk shop, and just enjoy the nice weather. (We can predict weather three months out in this part of the world.) While this will be a great event, consider it the appetizer to what I’m putting together that night.
Part 2 – Dinner on a Pan Am 747
That night, prepare yourself for a dinner service on a Pan Am flight to Europe. I’ve written about Anthony Toth here before. This is the man who recreated the nose section of a Pan Am 747 in his garage. But since my first post on him in 2009, he has done some amazing things. He rented a warehouse and re-built not only the nose section but also a small Clipper Class section behind. Oh yeah, and he put together the upper deck as well. The accuracy is incredible, and a lucky few of us are going to take it over for one night.
For this year’s Crankyspotting event, we will all have the chance to board a flight to Europe and enjoy a full dinner service delivered by Pan Am flight attendants. I’m thinking check-in will be at 6p and it will go into the evening, but we’ll get final details later. You can expect the three “Ds” at this event: drinks, dinner, and dorks. We’ll have time to look through Anthony’s extensive collection of airplane memorabilia. This is going to be an incredible night.
While there is plenty of room for everyone at In ‘n Out, our space on the 747 is unfortunately limited. At this point, it looks like we’ll have room for only 14 people in First Class (including dinner on the upper deck) and another 10 or so in Clipper Class. Keep in mind, back then Clipper was like an Economy Plus-style product. But you’ll only be there for the meal. The rest of the time can be spent roaming the aircraft. And naturally, the cost of sitting in Clipper will be less than in First.
If you aren’t entirely sure just how incredible this airplane is, I highly recommend watching the 13m50s video that shows Anthony’s journey in building this airplane. I imagine most people probably don’t realize how much attention to detail is required to do what Anthony has done.
Amazing, right? I will have more details on pricing and how we’ll fill those seats in the coming weeks. In the meantime, mark your calendar.
