Rate-A-Restaurant #306: Proud Bird

Disappointing news this weekend, as it appears that the Proud Bird restaurant, an LAX staple, is set to close on Nov. 21. The Los Angeles Times has the details:

The biggest names in aerospace have sat at the bar here to watch the planes land, people such as Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh and Neil Armstrong.

But the Proud Bird's days may be numbered.

John Tallichet, the current owner and son of the late founder, said it will close Nov. 21, after an unsuccessful two-year effort to negotiate a new lease from the property owners, Los Angeles World Airports.

The city airport commission says it can't help the historic gathering place, saying that federal law, which controls some aspects of airport operations, requires current market value for rents.

Although Boeing Co., Northrop Grumman Corp., the Aerospace Corp. and Raytheon Co. all have major facilities nearby, the industry is much smaller than in its heyday and less able to support the red-meat-and-fish dining room.

Nonetheless, supporters of the restaurant are outraged by the upcoming closure, saying that it would mean the loss of an important piece of Los Angeles' history.

We visited the Proud Bird a while ago, but I never got around to writing a Rate-A-Restaurant review. Better late than never:

Restaurant: Proud Bird

Location: 11022 Aviation Blvd. (LAX)

Type of restaurant: American



We stipulated: A while back when my parents were in town, we decided to do lunch at the Proud Bird (vs. my parents' usual LAX stop at the nearby In N' Out). I knew my dad the Air Force vet and aviation pro would enjoy the environs, and the Blogger Kid would enjoy watching the planes from the window.



They stipulated: "A tribute to the evolution of modern aviation, The Proud Bird Restaurant is located right next to one of Los Angeles International Airport's (LAX) approach runways, affording diners a one-of-a-kind, front-row view of airplanes coming in for a landing." Also: "As a tenant of the Los Angeles Department of Airports, the Proud Bird is governed by the Living Wage Ordinance of the City of Los Angeles. In order to assist us in honoring the Living Wage Ordinance, and in lieu of raising menu prices, we assess a 15% fee on all sales. None of this fee is paid as a gratuity to employees. We invite you to leave a gratuity separately. Your understanding and continued patronage is greatly appreciated."



What we ordered: Beer battered fish and chips (Tartar sauce, french fries, malt vinegar) $12; French picnic (Choice of soup or salad, served with a half Turkey & Avocado Club) $10; Prime rib sandwich (Carved to order prime rib on a toasted French baguette, served au jus and creamy horseradish) $13



High point: The views, naturally. Plus, the inside of the Proud Bird is an aviation museum of sorts. It's a shame that all of this stuff may disappear from public view.

Low point: Nothing all that interesting food-wise here -- the lunch entrees are pretty basic.



Overall impression: A unique spot and a trip back to the golden age of aviation and Los Angeles' aerospace industry.



Will we return: Looks like that may be impossible, unfortunately.

24 Hours Over LAX

Cool video via Airboyd.TV, which posted animation of real airplane traffic traveling in and out of Los Angeles International Airport. Notice how it's busy nonstop, then slows down slightly in the middle of the night, before getting out of control in the morning.

Here's some of what Airboyd writes:

Los Angeles LAX is the fourth busiest airport (2009) in the world by by traffic movements and a major gateway to Asia, Hawaii, and the South Pacific. Many major U.S. airlines, such as American, Continental, United, and Alaska, use LAX as a hub.

Three major traffic routes are visible in the animation. The southern corridor consists of flights to Phoenix, Dallas, Houston and Florida.

The middle corridor runs from Denver to Chicago and on to the northeast. The Pacific coast corridor connects LA to San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.

Compared to other airports, LAX remains busy throughout the night.

For a follow-up, checkout this 24 Hour of World Flight video.

More from "It's a Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod City": The Flight Path Learning Center and Museum

Talk about a well-kept secret, a nice little gem of an aviation museum. The Flight Path Learning Center and Museum, actually located on the LAX flight path (hence the name), boasts quite a nice collection of memorabilia from the golden age of flying. 

Everything from 1960s-era flight attendant outfits, to old airline seats, to an actual old DC-3 plane are a part of the museum. I was especially intrigued by all of the items saved from long-lost airlines like Pan Am, Western, Air California and many more. 

The museum also includes a research library and a flight simulation center.


(The view from the flight path.)

The Flight Path Learning Center and Museum was a part of the Los Angeles Conservancy's It's a Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod City tour on Sunday, in which participants got a close-up view of several 1960s-era modern buildings.



The museum building originally served as an operation facility for Northrop Aircraft Corporation from 1951 to 1965; it then became a terminal for charter flights and foreign carriers that didn't have regularly scheduled service. MGM Grand Air took the building over in 1987, until it went out of business. The building was empty until the museum -- a joint venture between the Los Angeles World Airports and the Flight Path Learning Center of Southern California -- was founded.



The DC-3 on display began in the 1930s as part of TWA's fleet. Later, it became a private plane for the executives of the Union Oil company. The plane ended its run in the early 1980s.

Groovy interiors!

The Flight Path Learning Center is located in the LAX Imperial Terminal, located at 6661 W. Imperial Highway, Los Angeles on the south side of the airport.

It's a great deal: admission and parking are free. The aviation museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Retro Friday: Grand Central Edition

Before there was LAX, Glendale's Grand Central Air Terminal was the L.A. region's key airport. That all changed with World War II... and by 1959, the airport was shut down completely. Here's a mini-documentary on the history of Grand Central.

Southern California's Ghost Airport Terminals

San Bernardino's terminal sits empty.

They sit there, ready for commercial airline service -- and the passengers that come with it. They're Southern California's Ghost Airport Terminals.

The two biggest are probably the San Bernardino International Airport and the Palmdale Regional Airport.



San Bernardino exists on land that formerly was a part of the now-closed Norton Air Force Base. The airport has been looking for an airline tenant, but has so far come up short. It nonetheless has built a new (and as of now, empty) passenger terminal (pics above and below) and is regularly used for film shoots ("X-Files," "The Fast and the Furious," "Terminator 3," "The Aviator").





From the airport's website:

The San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) allows for Stage 2 aircraft and has over 60,000 annual flight operations comprised mainly of charter, corporate and general aviation users. The Airport has recently completed a redesigned Passenger Terminal Facility in anticipation of future passenger airlines services. For scheduled and charter aircraft, or for more information regarding new charter or passenger flights, please contact the Airport at (909) 382-4100.

(Flickr pic by MECU.)

And then there's the sad case of the Palmdale airport. Los Angeles World Airports once upon a time harbored big plans to build a new international airport on this land, but nothing ever came of it beyond the small terminal (above) that is on leased Air Force land ("Plant 42").

The airport agency offered subsidies for United to fly a few planes from Palmdale to San Francisco. But once that money ran out last year, United bolted -- and Palmdale Airport, which has seen its passenger service ebb and flow, was once again without a tenant.

LAWA has even gone one step further and surrendered its federal certification to operate Palmdale Regional Airport as a commercial facility.

From the L.A. Times:

Mike Molina, an L.A. World Airports spokesman, said that maintaining the certificate no longer makes sense given the economic recession and the difficulty developing air service in the high-desert city, where eight airlines have come and gone since 1971. United departed Dec. 7 after operating at Palmdale for 18 months.

Should the opportunity arise to provide air service in the future, Molina said, Los Angeles World Airports can easily reapply to the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to operate at Palmdale. The FAA requires that certain conditions be met before a certificate is granted, such as runway inspections, adequate staffing and emergency preparedness plans.


Because a substantial effort has been made to develop Palmdale airport, L.A. World Airports officials contend that pulling out of the airport for now will not violate a 2005 court settlement that requires the agency to pursue a policy of regionalism -- spreading the growth in air travel to airports across Southern California to relieve congestion at LAX.

Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said the loss of certification should not interfere with the city's plans to take over the agency's leases with the U.S. Air Force and assume responsibility for attracting carriers to the airport. The terminal, the parking lot and aprons sit on 60 acres of Air Force property.