Hey guys flying into LA end of Dec looking for heads up on some good LHS if one was keen to part with some money. Based in Brisbane Austraila so not sure on the best way to get boxes freighted back or if the whole exercise is too expensive ...........any help would be appreciated ..............cheers

One thing to check..... Ask the airline that's taking you home about their charges and rules for "checked baggage/freight". Sometimes that isn't too bad. Depends on the carrier. Checking it out won't cost you anything.

You have a few choices but nothing great because there all Hobby People . The easiet one close to LAX is off of Hawthron BLVD aprox 15 min from LAX .
Now if you go to the corporate HQ , its about 40 mins , again an easy ride same direction
Once your at Hobby People, main office , there is a one good independant shop off forest drive , again traveling a little more west once getting back on the highway .

On RC groups -under warbirds there is a member by the name kentucky Kernal , he lives in the area can give you the exact name of the independant shop
With all the great rc enthuist in southern cal , I have always been disappointed with the rc shops in SCal . hobby people controls the market and most have aprox 2 lanes for planes and then its all cars

Hey if you end up for some reason driving to San Diago , Dymond Modles is down there , very nice shop , usually some good deals on elertic planes ect , differant stock , not just the run of the mill same old same old .

First off, Dymond hobby is no longer open for retail in San Diego and probably the most popular shop in SD is Discount Hobby near Miramar Marine Base. I have found some great shops in the greater LA basin area, Hobby People is not one of them. Not to bash HP too badly but they are understocked and run by kids and or retired grumpy old men who could care less about customer service. In Orange county, which is South of LA, Gyro Hobby is a newly revamped store and has a great stock of planes, engines and accessories. I also like Pegasus Hobby which is East of LA on the way to Ontario. I have been to many other smaller shops in LA but they were not very well stocked. I'm sure you LA guys will add your favorites to this list.

North of LAX in the San Fernando Valley is Smith Brothers Hobbies on Reseda Blvd. On the way there you can stop at the famous Sepulveda Basin Apollo XI flying field and check out the fun. It is off of the Burbank Blvd exit of the northbound I-405.
Chris...

dont go to pegasus hobbies they overcharge for everything shoot i saw a servo start at 8 bucks next week 9 then ten and so on your better off going to airland hobbies in otario which will at that time be near ontario airport

Ok travel details been refined or should I say defined will fly into LA then there a week to trip around, maybe heading north to San Fransico , this opens it up abit ....cheers

Ok I was just in La, sorry to hear about the Dymond no longer in bus as far as retail , that was a fun shop . Gyro had a sign that said closed until 11/24 or something like that .
They will be open on black Friday and having a sale according to the sign its Lake Forest Drive .
The Hobby People -Main office off eculid is loaded with stock and you can negotiate some deals at times with a matching ad they run on mail order .

Northern cal , I use to love Shedons when they were loaded with old cool kits like Pica ect , they sold a ton when moveing and there not impressive in my opinion .
As far as the USA excluding Florida , the best two shops in the country in my humble opinion are 1)HobbyWarehouse in Richfield Minn and now the other one Big Sky hobbies in Minn , both shops are loaded , friendly and experienced with help .
Skip Northern Cal and fly to Minn , work can wait

If you make it to San Francisco you can go up to Sacramento to a place called RC Country.Nice big well stocked shop.

Thanks , will do , been looking for one in the north , I travel all the time

LDM I migth have to do the Minn next trip but cheers for the heads up.
To every one else who has put there best up thanks heaps, sounds like I am going to get lost. Will make a point of visiting Sepulveda Basin Apollo XI flying field and check out the fun. It is off of the Burbank Blvd exit of the northbound I-405.
Checked out their web site and man it looks like a huge club. Look forward to sampling the best your country has to offer.............