Aero Hobbies is powered by:
Ma Ya Japanese Restaurant
Yes, that is a jar of honey.
Miniatures Painting Service
by DAVE TIMMS Armies, units, individual figures, showpieces et cetera. Call 818-468-2117 Santa Monica based (despite phone #)
The Incomplete History of Aero Hobbies:
ca. 1939 from "Recollections of the Aero Theatre By Two Men Who Tore Tickets When The Aero Was Brand New" c. American Cinematique - owners of the Aero Theatre at 14th and Montana
When asked about the story that Douglas Aircraft built the Aero Theatre to entertain employees of the plant during 24-hour wartime production, Donald debunks the myth he has heard before. "In 1939 we weren’t in the war yet, " he says assuredly. Douglas was building bombers for the British. A friend of mine worked there and I asked him if they were on 24 hour shifts then and he said he does not remember being on that schedule." Donald surmises that the theatre was simply built as a real estate investment. The employees of Douglas did not live in that neighborhood so it doesn’t make sense to have built the theatre just for them.
Montana Avenue had proximity to the street car system in those days via the Venice short line which could get you all the way to the coliseum for a game.
One of the retail spaces in the Aero building was Aero Hobbies and other local businesses included a Van de Camps Bakery (at 14th and Montana), a Shell gas station on the northwest corner and a pharmacy frequented by Leo Carrillo. At 2nd and Wilshire was Harold Lloyd’s bowling alley, Loadamar.
1946 from "Autobiography of BRYANT THOMPSON"
I first started working at Aero Hobbies in Santa Monica, California, while attending high school in 1946 to 1947. Then I joined the Air Force. I worked part-time in a hobby shop in Biloxi, Mississippi, while stationed at Kessler Field.
1974
Aero is purchased by Gary R. Switzer. Also, in darkest Wisconsin Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax published a game they called "Dungeons & Dragons."
WH40K Rogue Trader Tournament 19 May '07 Thanks to everyone who made this event such a success. Here are some snaps of the day: