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Gala XV Preparations in Full Swing

 
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Gala XV will begin with a reception and airfield tours followed by dinner.. Guests also will have an opportunity to view aviation memorabilia and flight simulators in the museum as well as vintage and contemporary aircraft on the tarmac.  More than 400 guests are expected.  For reservations call (424) 646-7284.

Flight Path will host its 15th annual Gala fundraiser on October 5 .  Event Chair Ethel Pattison and her committee are putting the finishing touches on invitations for the celebration which this year salutes "The Golden Anniversary of the Jet-Age Airport.â€

Program highlights will include welcoming remarks by Airport Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey or her representative, presentation of Flight Path's annual Clay Lacy and Charles "Pete" Conrad scholarships to promising aviation students, and musical interludes by the popular Hyperion Outfall Serenaders jazz band.

The Golden Anniversary theme recalls the June 1961 dedication of the present LAX terminal complex west of Sepulveda Boulevard, replacing the old propeller-era facilities on the south side of Century Boulevard. The ceremonies featured Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, FAA Administrator Najeeb Halaby, his daughter Lisa (the future Queen Noor of Jordan), incoming and outgoing Mayors Sam Yorty and Norris Poulson, local Councilman L. E. Timberlake, Airport General Manager Francis Fox, and airport commissioners.
 

"This remarkable production chronicles a truly historic period in Southern California air transportation," said Ake. "This is a rare opportunity for the public to view these fascinating materials from the airport archives."

The Flight Path Learning Center and Museum is operated by non-profit Flight Path in cooperation with Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency which operates LAX. Flight Path is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Admission and parking are free. For information call (424) 646-7284 or see the other sections of this website.

Salute Spotlights Centennial of Southern California Aviation

Los Angeles International Airport's Flight Path Learning Center and Museum will salute the 100th anniversary of Southern California aviation with a festive benefit on October 6 in the Imperial Terminal on LAX's south perimeter.

Themed, "Centennial of Aviation," the evening includes a reception at 5:30 and dinner at 7. Featured will be static displays of historic aircraft on the tarmac near the dining area. More than 400 guests are expected. Reservations are available by calling (424) 646-7284.

A centerpiece of the celebration will be a major exhibit of historic photos and other memorabilia from the 1910 Dominguez Air Meet, often called the "birth of aviation" in Southern California. Also featured will be an audiovisual program spotlighting local aviation history.

The museum is a joint venture of the Flight Path Learning Center of Southern California, a nonprofit community group organized in 1995 to develop and promote the museum, and Los Angeles World Airports, the City agency which operates LAX. The salute is Flight Path's 14th annual fundraiser.

Emphasizing Flight Path's educational mission, each gala features presentation of the Clay Lacy and Charles "Pete" Conrad scholarships to students planning careers in aviation. Competitive selections are made by aviation professionals, according to Flight Path President Rowena Ake.

"The scholarships are a reminder that Flight Path's primary mission is education," said Ake. "Each year we help make it possible for future pilots, air traffic controllers and other aviation professionals to continue their career preparation at the college level."

Dinner will be served in a tent adjacent to the airfield with a view of aircraft operations and other airport activities. Entertainment will feature the Hyperion Outfall Serenaders jazz combo. Guests will have an opportunity to view aviation memorabilia and flight simulators in the museum and vintage and contemporary aircraft on the tarmac.

Flight Path situated in the Imperial Terminal, 6661 W. Imperial Highway, Los Angeles. It is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Admission and parking are free. For driving and parking directions and other information call (424) 646-7284 or click the Visiting link to the left..

Flight Path Salutes ‘Jet Age’ Airport’s 50th Anniversary  

What air travelers take for granted today was headline news in 1961. On June 25 of that year, Los Angeles International Airport entered the age of jet airline transportation with a radically redesigned terminal complex. Gone were the tacky, temporary LAX terminals lining the south side of Century Boulevard. Gone were stair ramps for aircraft boarding. And almost gone were the droning propeller-powered airliners that had served passengers since airline service began at LAX in 1946. The coming of the first passenger jet to LAX in 1959 had rendered the old airport facilities completely obsolete.

 

New Terminal Complex 

New was a revolutionary LAX terminal complex on a new site west of Sepulveda Boulevard. New were street-side ticketing buildings connected to field-side boarding areas by underground tunnels. New was a space-age centerpiece, a huge restaurant suspended from “parabolic” arches, known as the “Theme” building.  New was a state of the art control tower combined with an upgraded airport administration building.  Now Los Angeles had an airport to match its new status as a growing center of jet air travel.

 

LBJ, Future Queen on Hand 

VIPs flocked to see and be seen during official dedication ceremonies at the new control tower. Standing in for President John F. Kennedy, ailing with a sore back, was Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Also on hand were newly elected Mayor Sam Yorty, outgoing Mayor Norris Poulson, City Councilman L. E. Timberlake and even Jordan’s future Queen Noor: the photogenic little Lisa Halaby, daughter of FAA Chief Najeeb Halaby.  Those taking bows included Airport Director Francis Fox, the architectural team of Pereira, Luckman, Becket and Williams, and City Airport Commissioners.

 

Museum Preserves Memories 

During 2011, Flight Path is featuring exhibits, memorabilia and programs saluting the 50th anniversary of “jet age” LAX.  Scenes of 1961 events are preserved on the museum’s popular mural wall. Jet airliners of that era, the Douglas DC-8 and Boeing 707, are represented in model and photo form among Flight Path exhibits. Star entertainers of that era photographed at LAX, including Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and many others, are spotlighted in Flight Path’s Celebrity Hall.  The 50th anniversary will be the subject of a salute later this year at Flight Path’s annual Gala Celebration and a special program in the museum‘s popular Speaker Series.