A Day in the Life of Kermit! - w/ FAIREY SWORDFISH footage! 

Between Bob Hoover and Kermit Weeks, we pretty much have every aircraft known to man tested and flown lol. Absolute Legends, both of em and we're so fortunate to still have Kermit with us!

He's restoring Swordfish HS554 at White Waltham. Great to see Kermits example.

I've never heard of anyone who had such overwhelming knowledge and has owned or flew most every plane that was ever built..... I would have to crown you the JAY LENO of the airways.......Keep it up KERMIT, we novices love you and your channel......

Tom Smith has another project. Hawker Hurricane P3966 'The Last of The Few' it crashed into Fobbing marshes in Essex England 26th August 1940. Flown by Paddy Hemingway , the last pilot alive that took part in the Battle of Britain , July to October 1940. Paddy is still with us and soon to be 104. P3966 I believe is due to fly later this year in 2024. So Tom has two huge historic projects on the go at once. Toooo cooolll

Thanks for the insight on the Swordfish 👌, Kermit on the ivorys you have many strings to your bow , thanks for sharing 👍💨💨

The Meteor was once at Colerne, Wiltshire UK and my father and uncle put in a bid when it came up for auction in the 1970’s with the intention of displaying it on the front lawn at their home. Not sure when Kermit acquired it but hopefully he’ll display it at Fantasy one day!.

Thank you Kermit for all you do.

Perfect timing for me to do a Kermit deep-dive. Some more commonalities leaped to mind: as a 50+ year musician, I've been affiliated with several recording studios and built my home studio in NorCal, so that really struck a chord. Having to leave that space behind when I moved back to Michigan was one of my biggest heartbreaks. I also know the joy/pain of voiceovers, which is why I almost never do it on my videos. But watching you do voiceovers for kid's videos was priceless! I've watched some Fairey Swordfish videos so I found that thread fascinating. Golden Hill never ceases to blow my mind. You should offer very exclusive and very expensive tours; I'd gladly pay for that experience. Mentioning the original helicopter engine was a Wright Cyclone 7 also hit home; I have an R-1300 out of a T-28A (complete with enormous 2-blade prop) sitting in my hangar right now, filling the space that used to be occupied by the RV-8 that I built, flew, and had to sell. You're not kidding about life not being in a straight line, but I'm still managing to follow the path that my energy takes me. And on top of everything else on your plate, you want to master piano tuning. Unbelievable... yet totally believable. Go for it! And as always, thanks for sharing, and thanks for all the tremendous inspiration. Oh, and thanks for mentioning the blimp gondolas in the background. I was gonna ask you about those.

Kermit playing piano. Didn't see that coming. The collection you don't see is incredible. Thanks for the video. You need a twin for backup.

I live not far from RNAS Yeovilton UK which is where the only flying Swordfish is based. Usually, at this time of the year with summer in the offing with better weather, is when I might be lucky to see the Swordfish fly over. She is often featured in the Yeovilton air shows.

Sir Kermit I have been following your videos and I've seen a passion driven man with a cause! You deserve all you have and our respect! Thank you for your channel and commitment to you inner self!

Well done Kermit!

Mercury is in retrograde......you win the 60s reference dear sir.

Just as a bit of background, I received a quote for a set of Bristol Bulldog spars (built by the same method of rolling) for $100,000.00. 8 spars + shipping. And that was 15 years ago. And for a addendum: Guy Black had a mill run from a Swiss steel company for the special steel (T50 etc) he needed for his projects. A mill run !!!!!

That trailer guy is a total tool. Not easy being you Kermit. Thanks for sharing.

And poor Kermit gets taken for a ride again..

I used to travel from Sussex up to the city of London, often sitting next to an elderly Vice-Admiral, who was at that time, a trustee and director of the Royal Naval Pension fund. As a young sub-lieutenant he had been a Fairey Swordfish pilot, operating off a carrier in the eastern Mediterranean. They flew off one day to investigate a sighting of an Italian destroyer flotilla in the Ionian sea. After a long and fruitless hunt for them, they were returning to their carrier, when a sudden and un-forecast storm blew up. They had to radio ahead to ask the carrier to slow down, as they would not have reached it, before running out of fuel. He then said in a unique experience in his flying career, he performed a vertical landing on the deck and had to keep the engine running almost at full throttle, while a brave air-craftsman crawled on his belly under the whirling propellor and fastened two hooks onto the undercarriage to allow the Swordfish to shut down its engine, without being blown straight over the stern of the carrier and to then be winched forwards to allow the next in the flight to land.

The inventory Mr.Weeks has is mind blowing- awsome.....

This was just wonderful. Start to finish, word for word...

I never knew you kept that busy! Though, having as many aviation and non-aviation projects as you do, it'll keep you on your feet! I hope you can get a couple more mechanics on site soon, pick up where others have left off on some of the restoration projects, and maybe take a bit of a load off your shoulders too. I'd love to be one of the mechanics, but who knows where life will go!

So, going to FOF, Kermit's like; Yeah, in this building here I got planes and that building over there I got planes and the same in those two buildings way over there and then all those storage containers are full of planes and on the other side of those fences are a bunch of planes and if we run down to this other facility all of those buildings are full of planes and parts collection and that building is full of Radial engines . . . . No wonder Kermit calls it 'Fantasy' of Flight because every person who loves airplanes fantacizes of having just one of the planes in his colllection.

Loved your piano self learning Technique Kermit. Can see how busy you are and no lunch / sandwich? Great info on the fairy Swordfish. Thank you for sharing.

What a busy man you are! Great to watch this video, you are definitely a man of many talents. 👍

The Swordfish is my favorite plane. The first model I built, so I'm sentimental about it. It would be nice to see more examples rebuilt and maybe even able to fly. I hope that this project will be implemented quickly.

You're a busy guy. It's a shame that people don't follow through in business. The trailer guy was an example.

Very Cool..👌

The Sunderand in the background!!!

Kermie you have one hell of a life. Just the one day you let us see, would completely exhaust me. (I'm a similar age to you) so I know what can happen as you get older. Try to stay as healthy as you can, 'cos if you've got my problems, it severely restricts what you can do!! I would have loved to come and see your whole collection including the warehouses etc, but I'm too old now. Just seeing what you have in storage would keep me happy for a week, let alone a day! I love the stringbag as I once met an old stringbag pilot who won several medals for his many endeavours throughout the war, a more interesting guy you could want to meet (Charles Lamb), if that means anything to you. I had read his book years before and never expected to meet him, but when it came to the crunch, I could not think of anything to ask him just because he was who he was! Anyway, thanks for letting us in, I have already seen the follow up video of your escapades with the Muffin, and Richard Grace (loved that), I should say that I have been a follower for donkeys years, like early 80's via various magazines here in UK. So I know how hard you have worked over time, and this is A BIG THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE AND STILL HAVE PLANNED!!!!

Nice, I love playing Maple Leaf Rag!! Great to get a insight of a hectic day mate, managing well!

Stringbag! Love the ragplanes!

Fantastic tour on the swordfish I can’t wait for Hawker Demon coming to fantasy of flight this year.

It is great to have so many people to help you out to attend to all the stuff and associated events. I find I want to be involved with restoration work and all the other stuff gets in the way. Organizing replacement material and parts is something I'd like to get be more involved with the engineering of. I suppose that you can't do it all. My workshop tends to be as small as possible, but you probably walk 10 miles a day. That equates to over 3 hours!

Wow the animation and your voice over talent is outstanding! Bravo 👏

Interesting to see how that fascinating mind works.

Day in the life is pretty kool!

Every video I'm floored by your collection.... and then you flash the K2 blimps sitting out. Amazing! What don't you have lol? Thanks for another interesting video!

Awesome look around. Great to see Meteor VT229 again. I have worked on it 👍

Being a professional keyboard player / musician I really appreciate what you have accomplished with the piano!👏

The aircraft that stopped the water being dominated by the Bismarck!

"Golden Hill" must be better than "Silver Hill" 😉

Kermit, you crack yourself up!😊

Great video! I'm smiling, when you become a senior citisen you have more to do and have less spare time compared when you were still working.

It's tougher than I thought to be,Kermit Weeks! Be true to yourself. There's not enough time in the world to finish all the projects you have. Do you have a priority of what projects will be started first/next. Do you have a timetable for the start of the S-43. Howard wanted you to have it, so he could share the joy of aviation with you. Get 'em flying Kermit!❤

That 🌠📉 Boeing 100 📈🌠 Looks Absolutely Beautiful ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Great video. One time at FoF you flew a plane and after the flight you talked to me and I asked if you owed a Zero. You said you had one but it’s in rough shape. I hope you restore it. Be safe and take care. You’re the best.

GBU Kermit your doing a great service for us all 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Note the fuel tank on the Swordfish is 165 imperial gallons, so 198 US gallons.

Coral Gables 🌴🇺🇸 Hehe I love the Art Deco Pan Am Dinner Key vibe at the Fantasy operation. Been following since MIA days. Enjoy 👌 🏄

wow!

I have always been fascinated by the "Stringbag" aircraft. It seems that every one that is spoken about, written about, photographed, salvaged or restored has been a Fairey Swordfish. Yet, it's my belief & understanding that Blackburn built about half of the total production as Blackburn Blackfish. Yet, if the words, books photo's pieces & remaining aircraft are to be accepted as true, then not one single Blackburn Blackfish has survived in verbal stories, print, imagery or as an artifact. Not one, they are all Fairey Swordfish. Same aircraft, different manufacturer & name. Amazing.

Love that you learned piano at a… ahem… late stage ?… in life. I was raised on accordian( Ya … a closet accordionist), trumpet in high school, guitar while hitching around States couple years. But always wanted to learn piano. Maybe I will now? lol. The new smaller electronic keyboards have realistic action. I always stroke them when I see them. Wife is getting over the new Harley Davidson… kind of. The piano would be chump change. Life starts at 71!… At least that’s my opinion.

I’m exhausted.

I love your office! What are the statues on the window ledge?

Cloning might be in order.

Shearwater has one, just 5 miles from me.

Boy !!!-that boeng-100--is just beautiful !!---the Swordfish,-looks like a "collapsed-bridge"-man,-where do you start on that one ??

When we gonna see some more kermie cam flights?

The Brit’s attacked the Italian Navy in Italy during WWII with those airplanes.

Here is the million dollar question Kermit. How do you know what your higher self is trying to tell you. I’ve owned my own business for 10 years now but I feel as though I’m being pushed in a different direction. Unfortunately I just don’t know which direction that is. Love your stuff by the way I’ve watched your channel from the beginning.

What model B-17 do you have?

Piano man looks like Sean Connery 😎

Looks like the skippers chair needs a run through the upholstery shop.

If I was Kermit I would spend the day with that Zero

So when's Kermit gonna restore him a JU87😊

I was just a little boy when my dad took me to Ernie Simmons auction. I latter saw the Fairey Swordfish fly and a Yale fly, both came from Ernie's sale.

What type is the Japanese plane in the background?

swordfish Wow i always wondered if they had added protection for the crews gonads ! For they surly must have been large given some of the missions they flew 🤟 to think of one The destruction of Bismarck's Rudder

boy, you can really see how the swordfish got its nickname "stringbag" lol. in the interests of better business, you shouldnt have bleeped the guys name so everyone who deals with the guy in the future knows what a crook theyre dealing with. i dont know anything about piano, and am not particularly musically inclined, but its always interesting to hear an expert in their field speak about it.

Tough to be Kermit Weeks.

I pushed a swordfish in to a hanger after it's air display at Biggin Hill in 2001 when I was an Aircadet in the 1063 Squadron, Also my Father's English teacher was a swordfish pilot in ww2. Fantastic video's I really enjoy watching them here in the 🇬🇧

The piano tech was probably laughing inside when Kermit expressed an interest in learning to tune a piano. It’s a skill that takes a lot of training and practice to develop. It’s not something you can pick up in an afternoon. It might be quicker to teach the piano tech to fly aerobatics.

Cool video. That piano was waaaay out of tune

You need to get you lovely leather chair recovered..! 😂❤