Cranky Dorkfest is One Month Away and I Have Two Exciting Pieces of News

It’s hard to believe it, but Cranky Dorkfest 2023 is just over a month away. I hope you’re all getting excited. As a reminder, Cranky Dorkfest will be from 11am to 1pm on Saturday, September 9 at the park across the street from the In-N-Out at LAX. This year, the main event will be back to basics. It’ll just be us, burgers, airplanes, and some giveaways. But wait, there’s more… I’m please to share two pieces of news today:

1) The Airfield Tour is Back(ish) and You Need to Sign Up!

Those of you who came in 2019 remember that we were able to meet up early at the Flight Path Museum on the south side of the airport, watch airplanes, and then take an airfield tour before the main event. I’m happy to report that LAX is bringing back the first two parts of that event. No, there’s no airfield tour, but they will be opening up the Flight Path Museum from 9am to 11am, and we’ll be able to go all the way out to the edge of the ramp so we can get some spectacular views of departures and arrivals on 25L and R.

Can’t recall what that was like? Allow me to refresh your memory…

It’s going to be a great way to start the day, BUT space is limited to 50 people. We also need to collect the usual SecureFlight information for those who will be attending. So, what I’ve decided to do in the interest of fairness is to create a form where everyone can sign up with no more than 1 guest.

We will take form submissions from now through the end of the day on August 13, so it’s a nice long window. After that, we will use a random number generator to pick the lucky attendees. (If someone is chosen, the guest will be automatically chosen as well.)

Ready to get your name on the list for this free event? Make sure to fill out this form completely. Inaccurate or unfinished forms will be ignored.

We will let you know on August 14 if you’ve made the cut. At the same time, LAX will be trying to increase the number it can have attend if there’s overflow, so we’ll do our best to get as many of you there as possible.

2) There is Cranky Dorkfest Gear!

Several of you have asked when I was going to bring back Cranky Gear shirts and sweatshirts, and I’m pleased to say it’s happening. I’ll be getting the best-selling t-shirts and hoodies back up within a month, and yes, many of the airports have been updated with the terminal work that’s been done in the last couple years. But first, I created a special t-shirt and hoodie design for Cranky Dorkfest itself.

On the front it says Cranky Dorkfest 2023. And on the back? It’s a stylized map showing every nonstop destination from LAX in 2023. I won’t be taking orders and handing these out at Cranky Dorkfest itself. Instead, you can order them online anytime you’d like.

Get your Cranky Dorkfest 2023 Hoodie

Get your Cranky Dorkfest 2023 T-Shirt

Get your Cranky Dorkfest 2023 Kids T-Shirt

I look forward to seeing everyone next month!

Brett

24 responses to “Cranky Dorkfest is One Month Away and I Have Two Exciting Pieces of News”

Kilroy

Aug 2, 2023

Thanks Cranky, ordered.

I was a week or two away from designing my own (very unofficial and non-Cranky-logo’ed) custom T-shirt for Cranky Dorkfest, but this is much better. Happy to support the blog and your team, and looking forward to the event.

It would have been a fun Easter egg if Dave (or others from the Cranky team) were featured as one/some of the models wearing the shirts on the product listing page, but I doubt the shirt vendor could have arranged that on short notice, and it’s not a big deal.

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Doug Swalen

Aug 2, 2023

If Singapore ain’t supplying donuts again, I ain’t going!

Actually I can’t go since United’s first SFO-LAX flight that day doesn’t depart until 7:50am so I’ll miss it.

Definitely ordering a shirt…wish there had been a white shirt option though.

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Keith

Aug 2, 2023

Brett

Looks like I will probably be able to make my first Dorkfest this year.

I am looking forward to it.

For those of us that have not been before, can you provide your directions on how to get to the park from the terminals?

Thanks

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1. Kilroy
  
  Aug 2, 2023
  
  To add on to Keith’s comment, is there a bus or shuttle to get to In-N-Out / the park from the LAX terminal? Would I (as a pax with only a backpack, and without any airline employee credentials) be able to take an airport employee shuttle to/from the LAX Employee South Lot?
  
  Looks like it’s only 1.2 miles from Terminal 3 to In-N-Out, so it should be walkable, but figured I would ask just in case. In my experience, Uber/Lyft/cab drivers are rarely pleased when they find out that the pax they pick up from the airport only needs to go a mile or two.
  
  Reply
  1. ejwpj
    
    Aug 2, 2023
    
    I’ve attended a number of these (very enjoyable!) and I always walked – it’s easy….. But rather than give directions, I would simply keep walking in the direction of the In-N-Out, and you will get there! I think it took me about 20 minutes to walk from the central terminal area.
    
    Reply
    1. dfw88
      
      Aug 2, 2023
      
      I’ll second this comment. I’ve walked several times, usually with a kid on my shoulders, and it’s not bad at all. The weather in LA is nearly always nice, so I would say that walking is the best way to go.
      
      Reply
2. CF
  
  Aug 2, 2023
  
  Keith – The most reliable way is to walk. If you are depp in the horseshoe (like Terminal 3/Bradley/4) you can always take the LAXit shuttle to the Uber/Lyft area, and then it’s a straight shot north on Sepulveda from that lot. The Parking Spot Sepulveda is right next door to the In-N-Out and would be ideal, but they tend to restrict the shuttle to users of the facility. You can always try, however. I do not know if the employee south lot shuttle would allow people on without a badge either.
  
  Reply
  1. Douglas Swalen
    
    Aug 2, 2023
    
    So the old Parking Spot card trick won’t work now? I still have mine from the 2013 Dorkfest when The Parking Spot were encouraging us to use their shuttle. How times have changed.
    
    I’ll be arriving at T7/8 (don’t know which…probably 8) so I don’t know if LAXit shuttle to Uber/Lyft lot is a viable option. It would be for the trip back since intend on crashing the Star Alliance Lounge at Bradley like I always do after Dorkfest.
    
    Reply
    1. CF
      
      Aug 3, 2023
      
      Douglas – I don’t actually know if the Parking Spot trick will work. If you have the card, maybe. But I’ve actually reached out to see if they want to be more involved. I’ll post more details if so.
      
      You can take the shuttle from T7 to LAXit, but it’s not much further to just walk at that point.
      
      Reply
3. Nick Bax
  
  Aug 2, 2023
  
  To second CF, I’ve walked this route before, when I had a four and a half hour layover in UA’s terminal.
  
  There was adequate pedestrian facilities the whole way. Meaning that there were sidewalks that were unbroken. It’s not the most beautiful walk, but it does the job.
  
  Reply
ATX Jetsetter

Aug 2, 2023

Still mad at myself I never made it to Dorkfest the year it was in Dallas

Reply
David

Aug 2, 2023

Yeah… I know this is a bit (or a lot) like a parrot… but any chance of a dork fest somewhere in Europe next year ?

Reply
1. CF
  
  Aug 2, 2023
  
  David – Europe? No, these are hard enough to put on in my own hometown, and there is no revenue associated with it. It’s just not something I can do elsewhere easily enough.
  
  Reply
  1. 747Junkie
    
    Aug 3, 2023
    
    Lets do one on Maho Beach.
    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maho_Beach
    
    I’ll “help” by “spreading the word”.
    
    Reply
  2. Bill from DC (aka Cranky Gazelle?)
    
    Aug 3, 2023
    
    I’m going to appeal to your sense of nostalgia and set one up for you at Gravelly Point so we can watch all the 737s, 320s and RJs come into DCA!
    
    Not the best variety of planes, of course, but I think you would agree it’s a fabulous location. Then we can hop on a shuttle and go to the Udvar-Hazy museum at IAD and watch the international flights arrive for a better selection of metal.
    
    Visitors could fly into one and out of the other. I formally volunteer to be the East Coast Cranky representative! Does anybody know anybody at MWAA?!?
    
    Reply
    1. CF
      
      Aug 3, 2023
      
      Bill – I mean… my Gravelly days were filled with 727s, so it’s most definitely not nearly as fun! But it would be a good spot for it, no doubt.
      
      Reply
      1. Bill from DC (aka Cranky Gazelle?)
        
        Aug 3, 2023
        
        If nothing else, it would be much quieter now! ?
        
        Reply
        
        CF
        
        Aug 3, 2023
        
        Bill – Yep, which is really, really sad. ;)
catmndu

Aug 2, 2023

I’ve booked my flight and should get in with 20 minutes to spare for the Flight Path Museum fun. I hope that my AA flight from Tucson is on time and that 20 minutes is enough time to get there from the eagle’s nest aka bus terminal :-)…

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discover10

Aug 2, 2023

Hey CF- Is there a reason the form asks for Guests passport and DL License and not the primary attendee?

Reply
1. Anonymous
  
  Aug 2, 2023
  
  It’s required of anyone accessing a secure area. Just like passengers
  
  Reply
2. CF
  
  Aug 2, 2023
  
  discover10 – It should ask for passport or DL for both people. If it’s not, let me know where the issue is and I can try to troubleshoot on the form.
  
  Reply
  1. discover10
    
    Aug 2, 2023
    
    Gotcha, so here is where I think the error is.
    
    1) Would you like to bring 1 guest with you? Answer YES
    2) Which form of ID will your guest be providing? Select Drivers License
    3) Add the license details, select Next
    4) Then the form asks for Guest Attendee Passport details.
    
    so looks like its asking for both document details for both, thanks for taking a look :)
    
    Reply
    1. CF
      
      Aug 2, 2023
      
      Oh I see, it’s asking twice. Ok I fixed that.
      
      Reply