Short Shameless Admission

THE FLICKR PAGE for my aerial photograph of the Spelling mansion, "The Manor," in Holmby Hills, is the top Google result for the manor holmby hills.

LA Helicopter Tour Part 9: Mount Lee to Pacoima

Northbound over the Valley, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

AND SO WE'VE come to the end of the road. And "road" it should be, as I learned, because helicopters often follow paved routes below. Especially when they're communicating with control towers and nearby aircraft. We were "northbound on the 170." Or, "southbound on the PCH." Even if you get above the traffic, you can't get away from it entirely. Fly through the final segment of our journey with 42 photos from part 9 of our LA helicopter tour, Mount Lee to Pacoima. Or sit back with a cold one and look through all 280 photos in our complete LA helicopter tour gallery. Here's to next time. LOS ANGELES HELICOPTER TOUR | Pacoima to Van Nuys | Van Nuys to Malibu | Malibu to Westwood | Westwood to Hollywood | Hollywood & Highland | Hollywood to Downtown LA | Downtown LA to Silver Lake | Silver Lake to Mount Lee | Mount Lee to Pacoima

LA Helicopter Tour Part 8: Silver Lake to Mount Lee

Rowena Reservoir, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

HEY LOS FELIZ hipsters, see if you can spot where you live in one of my 25 photos from part 8 of our Los Angeles helicopter tour, Silver Lake to Mount Lee. LOS ANGELES HELICOPTER TOUR | Pacoima to Van Nuys | Van Nuys to Malibu | Malibu to Westwood | Westwood to Hollywood | Hollywood & Highland | Hollywood to Downtown LA | Downtown LA to Silver Lake | Silver Lake to Mount Lee | Mount Lee to Pacoima

LA Helicopter Tour Part 7: Downtown to Silver Lake

Bunker Hill, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

OF ALL THE PLACES we'd see on our Los Angeles helicopter tour, I most looked forward to downtown LA. I wanted that iconic aerial downtown photo, the famous establishing shot in LA movies and TV shows. In fact, we paid extra just so I could shoot the coast and downtown. (They're usually separate tours.) But then, unfortunately and unknowingly, I broke a cardinal rule of aerial photography. Don't. Wear. White. You see, a white shirt reflects light from the outside (sun) onto the inside (window) of the helicopter. A white shirt can wash out your pictures. A white shirt can ruin your $480 helicopter tour. Luckily this day was mostly cloudy and, thanks, to the near-panoramic bubble windows on the copter, I was able to shoot around my own reflection. Mostly. I won't clog the Internet with images of my shirt (or, sadly, the still-elusive, iconic shot of downtown LA) but you can see the rest of them on part 7 of our LA helicopter tour, downtown to Silver Lake. LOS ANGELES HELICOPTER TOUR | Pacoima to Van Nuys | Van Nuys to Malibu | Malibu to Westwood | Westwood to Hollywood | Hollywood & Highland | Hollywood to Downtown LA | Downtown LA to Silver Lake | Silver Lake to Mount Lee | Mount Lee to Pacoima

LA Helicopter Tour Part 6: Hollywood to Downtown

Straight East on Beverly, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

THIS IS WHERE Los Angeles gets serious. Enough of the frivolity of the beaches, the west side, the country clubs, the Sunset Strip. On part 6, we fly from Hollywood to Downtown. Over serious Koreatown. Over a serious studio. (No theme park! Get over it!) Over serious Wilshire Blvd. Over a law school and a cemetery. And finally toward those serious tall buildings in the distance. Take a gander at 31 photos from part 6 of our helicopter tour, Hollywood to downtown LA. LOS ANGELES HELICOPTER TOUR | Pacoima to Van Nuys | Van Nuys to Malibu | Malibu to Westwood | Westwood to Hollywood | Hollywood & Highland | Hollywood to Downtown LA | Downtown LA to Silver Lake | Silver Lake to Mount Lee | Mount Lee to Pacoima

LA Helicopter Tour Part 5: Hollywood & Highland

Hollywood Blvd. Sidewalk, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

WALK OF FAME, El Capitan, Grauman's Chinese, Kodak Theatre, Roosevelt Hotel, TV Guide, Yamashiro, Magic Castle. See them all in part 5 of our LA helicopter tour, in 24 photos of our loop around Hollywood & Highand. LOS ANGELES HELICOPTER TOUR | Pacoima to Van Nuys | Van Nuys to Malibu | Malibu to Westwood | Westwood to Hollywood | Hollywood & Highland | Hollywood to Downtown LA | Downtown LA to Silver Lake | Silver Lake to Mount Lee | Mount Lee to Pacoima

LA Helicopter Tour Part 4: Westwood to Hollywood

Who Lives Here?, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

LIFESTYLES OF THE rich and famous - and the young and revelrous - all come into focus in part 4 of our LA helicopter tour, Westwood to Hollywood. This stretch is where the pilot makes bold, unverifiable claims about who lives where. "That's Paris Hilton's house!" "That's the Playboy Mansion!" OK, dude, if you say so. It's not like they were clickable. Flying in a helicopter isn't at all like flying in Google Earth. But how cool would that be. LOS ANGELES HELICOPTER TOUR | Pacoima to Van Nuys | Van Nuys to Malibu | Malibu to Westwood | Westwood to Hollywood | Hollywood & Highland | Hollywood to Downtown LA | Downtown LA to Silver Lake | Silver Lake to Mount Lee | Mount Lee to Pacoima

LA Helicopter Tour Part 3: Malibu to Westwood

Beach Tent, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

EVERY TIME we go to the beach, we can't help but notice a helicopter (or 2) (or 3) fly by over the ocean. And we usually think, enviously, who the heck is that guy? Well, for a few glorious moments a couple of weekends ago, Mrs. Newbie and I were that guy. Fly through 33 photos from part 3 of our LA helicopter tour, Malibu to Westwood. Oh, and if anyone knows what the heck building this is (and what Santa Monica intersection it's on) give me a shout. I'm befuddled. LOS ANGELES HELICOPTER TOUR | Pacoima to Van Nuys | Van Nuys to Malibu | Malibu to Westwood | Westwood to Hollywood | Hollywood & Highland | Hollywood to Downtown LA | Downtown LA to Silver Lake | Silver Lake to Mount Lee | Mount Lee to Pacoima

LA Helicopter Tour Part 2: Van Nuys to Malibu

Clifftop Neighborhood, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

A LOT OF POOLS, tennis courts, hills and valleys. Just what you'd expect to see flying over the Santa Monica Mountains between Van Nuys and Malibu. Plus a few horses. And some mysterious festival in Topanga Canyon. The Flickr set is up: see 37 photos from part 2 of our LA helicopter tour. LOS ANGELES HELICOPTER TOUR | Pacoima to Van Nuys | Van Nuys to Malibu | Malibu to Westwood | Westwood to Hollywood | Hollywood & Highland | Hollywood to Downtown LA | Downtown LA to Silver Lake | Silver Lake to Mount Lee | Mount Lee to Pacoima

LA Helicopter Tour Part 1: Pacoima to Van Nuys

Van Nuys Airport, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

CULLING THROUGH hundreds of our Los Angeles helicopter tour photographs - mapping them, labeling them, tagging them - has been, to tell an inside joke, the Infinite Jest of photo projects. I divided the tour into 9 segments, and just finished my Flickr gallery for Part 1, Pacoima to Van Nuys. This was my first ride in a helicopter so no, I was not at all disappointed to spend so much time flying over the Valley en route to more picturesque destinations. Interesting on this leg was how much construction still goes on in Sun Valley, Arleta, North Hills and Panorama City. Also, it's cool to fly over an airport! Take a look at 33 photos from Part 1. Parts 2 to 9 to come. LOS ANGELES HELICOPTER TOUR | Pacoima to Van Nuys | Van Nuys to Malibu | Malibu to Westwood | Westwood to Hollywood | Hollywood & Highland | Hollywood to Downtown LA | Downtown LA to Silver Lake | Silver Lake to Mount Lee | Mount Lee to Pacoima

Universal City, a Week Before the Fire

Universal City, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

Circling LA's 'Ugliest' Building

Hollywood & Highland Up High, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

AS PART OF our helicopter tour last weekend, the pilot did a loop around the famous (or, depending on your point of view, infamous) intersection and mall known as Hollywood & Highland. While this corner arguably houses the ugliest building in Los Angeles, on this day it was hopping. In fact, for viewing hordes of humanity from a helicopter, Hollywood & Highland rivaled even the beaches and Santa Monica Pier. Enjoy my 24-photo Flickr set.

New Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica Pier?

Pier Amusement Park, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

WE FLEW PAST Santa Monica Pier on our Los Angeles helicopter tour this weekend. We can only assume that this big white ferris wheel is the new one, to be unveiled tomorrow night, and not the old one, purchased on eBay for $132,400.

Flight Path: Our Helicopter Tour of Los Angeles

View Larger Map

YESTERDAY'S HELICOPTER tour started and ended at Whiteman Airport, the tiny LA County-owned airstrip at the north end of the San Fernando Valley. Along the way, and for purposes of organizing some 800 photographs, we covered 9 legs, more or less counter-clockwise: Pacoima to Van Nuys Van Nuys to Malibu Malibu to Westwood Westwood to Hollywood Loop around Hollywood & Highland Hollywood to Downtown LA Downtown LA to Silver Lake Silver Lake to Mount Lee Mount Lee to Pacoima Adventure Helicopter Tours of LA flew a 4-seater with panoramic views. Not a bad seat in the house for this $480 tour. And Mrs. Newbie graciously allowed her photographer to sit up front. Photos are being sifted, sorted and shared - soon.

Guess What City We Circled in a Helicopter Today

Way to Spend an Afternoon, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

IT WAS AN anniversary gift from Mrs. Newbie, a perfect way for us to celebrate our new hometown. In just 40 minutes this afternoon, in ideal sight-seeing weather, I snapped some 800 photographs. The better ones will be posted here. Stay tuned.