Kermit, You and I are about the same age. I used to have an airplane at Richards Field and during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, I went to Tamiami to help you arrange things (with a few other people from EAA Chapter 37) at your museum. At the beginning of this video you mentioned that flight schools are teaching more UAV than private pilots and you are so right! It is kind of sad... 😔 You have been an inspiration to me and to many others and I consider you to be the Pilot of Pilots. I then moved to Utah and I fly a biplane that I built and a Cessna 120. I have watched pretty much all your videos and have enjoyed them very much. I am honored to have met you and please keep inspiring other people.
I'm another Richards Field Alumni. I was getting tail dragger time in a J-3 over there. The airplane's owner and I landed and parked the airplane and an Extra 300 flew over the field. It comes in to land and taxis over to us. The hood goes back, and it was Kermit! He talked to us for a few minutes and took off. That was pretty cool. I had an old Ercoupe that I kept at Tamiami. I was landing one afternoon and Kermit was landing off to my right, on the grass, in his Jenny. This was all pre-Andrews, of course. I'm in your age group, btw. Turned 68 in April.
This video reminded me of scenes of what Is one of the most beautiful movies of all times, Out of Africa.. Its just fabulous when life and art merge in perfect harmony Just grand, great production value.
I lived in Arizona for 27 years and enjoyed seeing it again from your perspective. An incredible view, a truly classic aircraft and a very well done video by a man who shares his passion of aviation freely. Thank you, Kermit.
Another great Video Mr. Kermit, I was amazed by the shocks on the gear during the landing, it looks like they work really well. Nothing like a Stearman!!!!
I’ve been to Phoenix, Sedona and Flagstaff. Having departed ice and snow near Indianapolis the day before the temps in the 70’s at Phoenix were most welcome. Barrett-Jackson had some beautiful old cars to auction off and an Arabian horse show at Scottsdale was impressive. However, the “beautiful???”, red rocks of Sedona left me cold. Waste land. It must be true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Flagstaff had a couple inches of snow on the ground, but still with mild temps.
A Beautiful Airplane for the "Pilot of Pilots". The Red Baron of Orlampa homeward bound. Too cool! An absolutely outstanding video. Not so very unlike all of your RU-vid vids! I get all misty just watching. RUM! I need Rum, Boys!
Living in the Verde Valley and having watched it fly overhead for years, I will truly miss this airplane. However, I'm thrilled that it will be in good hands.
This brought back some great memories. In November 2018 after spending a week with Budd Davisson getting his Pitts Special training in Scottsdale, my wife and I pointed our rented Mustang GT convertible north along Hwy 17 to Prescott, sitting in with old friends at a blues jam at the Windsock Lounge. The next day we visited Jerome before heading to Sedona, having dinner at the airport's Mesa Grill. We left early the next morning and headed south through the National Forests all the way down to Tucson, where we eventually toured the Pima Air and Space Museum and Kitt Peak before heading back to Phoenix to depart back to Michigan. I have videos on my RU-vid channel covering the last day of flying with Budd, The Prescott Jam and a time lapse travel video of the Sedona to Tucson Run. Thanks for reminding me just how wonderful that trip was. It will be a future destination in the RV-8.
I'm looking for a video here at the house from circa 1992. Believe yours is the same plane my wife and I took a ride in while visiting the Sedona area. I remember it was red, but then I've had rides in two other red ones, both in Hawaii many years ago. Sedona tours had a new white Waco at the time that they had just brought in from the factory. Thanks for keeping this one alive.
Thank you Mr. Weeks, yet another well made and very informative video, I'm looking forward to part 4 and like another subscriber said "the down side is they keep ending" Thanks again.
😎👍i got to ride in one like that 3 days in a row as a kid. in the late 50's? or early 60's? When EAA flyin was in Rockford Ill airport, my dad would drop me off on his way to work and pick me up after work all that week. i got to ride in a Red Waco one like that 3 Days in a row .... The pilot knew a relative of our family, Uncle Machesney ran an old grass Field airport i lived next to ,North of the city. Also at the Fly in, 1 day i got to ride in a Custom painted white n yellom P51 mustang, another pilot knew my uncle also. The pilot was well known, he did airshows with it. It had been modified for 2 small wingtip tanks, and x seat was behind pilot where old Radios used to be. Being a Kid i had plenty of room.😂 Good ole days. Your site is my #1 Fav site.🙌 In my 70s now my home is still full of WW1&2 Models 😁👍
Great video Kermit! Wish you could have come north to Kanab, UT on your trip. We are just on the other side of the Grand Canyon from Sedona. I hop rides in our Waco YMF-5, serial #003 here in Kanab. I bought my Waco from the late Ron Alexander at Peachstate Aerodrome there south of Atlanta and flew it cross country back to home. Great airplanes!
I had a similar transponder in my 35 model bonanza. Don't remember the model. It blew through encoders. I swapped out the transponder after the second encoder failure in 3 years. That's a great area. I used to fly the family up to Airport Mesa in Sedona on the weekend in summers. My wife and I got married up on the Mesa. It's a great place to fly.
When I learned it was at SDL. The school i used used to have weekend adventure trips. One was to Cottonwood to do the Verde Valley Train. Lots of fun but watch your weight, performance and density altitude if its warm. Thank you.
There is nothing like being airborne, in your own plane, at around dusk, beautiful clouds and a beautiful sunset, a perspective of nature not seen by everyone.
I lived in Prescott and Cottonwood AZ, I live in another great state now but half my heart is still in AZ. I wish I could have been there in my old home towns to see you and the plane. I remember when Sedona was just a few old shacks out in the middle of nowhere, then it got discovered.
I've been checking every tuesday, hoping to see the Waco on its way to Florida. Its one of my favorite planes! Thanks Kermit for sharing these post!!!!
A big round engine and a beautiful red biplane,what an adventure bringing this home to roost at Fantasy of flight,love your pre flight Kermit removing the front control column and dropping the filters,the Waco is in good hands and will prove a lovely relaxing biplane to fly around the patch,I laughed when you said the panel had so much crap that you would replace ! thank you as ever for the coverage especially the go pro position pointing straight at Mr Jamaica himself enjoying this lovely iconic machine.
Casa Grande... brings back good memories of when the company I worked for set up and demonstrated an airship at the Eloy airpark. Skydive Arizona site, actually. We got a lot of strange looks as we assembled a 62 foot diameter spherical airship decked out as a soccer ball. We had fun in our spare time kicking up dust in the desert, watching the skydivers and playing with the occasional scorpion. FUN times! Yet, I digress. That was a very enjoyable video, Kermit. Thank you! EDIT to add: The Bent Prop Saloon was awesome!!!
What a beautiful bird, the YMF. I had a 1/5 scale RC model of that plane once; I'm not a full-scale pilot, but love the Golden Age aircraft (and all others, too). I went to St. Louis back in 2007 to an AWC fly-in at Creve Coeur Airport, spent 4 days among about 30 WACO's of about every still existing model, got to fly in a UPF-7. Keep that plane flying, Mr. Weeks, it's an airborne art work.
mr. Kermit this one GREAT video and beautifu photos, it is like Richard Bach Biplane book! Interesting photo of FW-190F at GossHawk, how far are they from the first flight of this beautiful plane, and will she wear her original white 1 dress?
I took off from a grass strip out in the boonies. Just after take off I lost my airspeed indicator in the Pitts. I had no other source to use. Needless to say I made it back ok ….a little fast but a long runway way was Very Very helpful
Great video; brought back some great memories when you mentioned I-17. I went to NAU on a baseball scholarship and we'd play our home games down in Phoenix the first 2 months of the season. Like clockwork I'd always get a nosebleed going past Camp Verde; coming down from 7,300 feet in Flag.
I love what you’re talking about with the school! I’m 15 and have a huge passion for aviation, I’ve flown rc planes for about 6 years and flying full scale for about 4 years (rotary and fixed wing) I’ve flown Hughes 500s, Pitts, Schweizer and a couple of other things like a Fouga Magister CM.170. I really want to come to your museum and see everything! I’ll be in that class the day it starts!
Kermit I learned to fly back in '78...( Compton, Cal. )... when I had about 20 hours a NEW Great Lakes fresh from the factory was in our FBO's hanger on a Saturday morning, the FBO owner had the keys,..... WE had the best hour of inverted, open cockpit flying ever ! ....It too was Red, the new airplane smell was and still is better than any new car I've ever had ! LOVE that plane, have a ball !
Hi Kermit. I've been following you for a long time and could possibly be your biggest fan? I have always loved your passion and dedication to aviation (just for it's own sake) and admire your collection. If you are serious about a ""by feel" flight school, I'd be honoured to attend if I could. I lok forward to going to Fantasy of Flight one day. Thanks for sharing this video of such a remarkable and beautiful airplane with us. Trevor, Canada
I don't know why, but every time I see one of your videos, I get the urge to call you Uncle Kermit... I'm 36 years old and I feel like you'd make an awesome uncle :P Thank for you the video, sir :) more more more..
4:49 - Kermit, I've always wanted to learn to fly. I never got the chance, though. I'm ALMOST your age (63 now). If I'm not too old when you open that school, I want a spot in the first class, IF you include classes for beginners (to learn the right way from the very beginning). I only live about 40 minutes from FoF (near USF in Lutz/Tampa area), so no biggie for the commute. ;)
Such a veeery nice trip You gave us! The view over Your homeland is sooo BEAUTIFUL ❤ Thank You VERY much Kermit 👍🌹 PS... Sad to hear You telling us that they not educate Pilots for The Old School Of Flying... 😟
Living in Glendale, Arizona, Sedona is a favorite place for my wife and I to get out of the heat in summer. It's about 10-15° cooler than Phoenix. Sedona is a great stop for anyone that flies. Great airport restaurant too! Without sounding like a commercial, My wife and I flew with Sedona Helicopter Tours and had a spectacular flight! Give it a go if your in the area. Lookin' forward to part 3.
I had some work in Sedona last weekend. Took the wife and kids and got a great room for next to nothing. Weather was beautiful just wish I had time to fly. Sedona is a great airport. Almost broke an airplane there day after my ppl checkride.
I’m happy you got a new airplane for your collection. I’m bummed I never got a chance to get a ride over Sedona in a biplane. I saw a few years ago that I could take a ride. I just didn’t get around to doing it. I guess I will need to learn how to fly so I can rent an airplane and buzz over Sedona.
Fantastic videos! I'm actually building an RC version of the F5C WACO right now so these videos are quite timely . I really enjoyed the pre flight walk around looking at the details I might put on my plane. Looking forward to your next video go the WACO.
4:48 "One day I wanna create a school that is from pilots to flyers". I'm 60 years, and I have been fortunate to learn to fly from real flyers. Most pilots rely on artificial feedback from computers when they "fly". Yes, we need to educate flyers again!
Actually, you would want to fly into Jerome next door and that's where the winery is. They have a tasting room set up with a regular storefront on main street for a tasting room and purchasing point. Bring your $ with! While some of the vino isn't cheap, it is hands down better than any Nappa Valley bullcrap that's out there. Best high Sierra wine that side of the Mississippi.
Beautiful aircraft, beautiful countryside, beautiful weather... how can one man be so lucky and have so much fun doing what he loves!! Keep 'em flyin' Kermit!! Now what would make this perfect would be if I could get my hands on some Naked in Jamacia Rum here in Hawaii... Do you have a distributor out this way Kermit?
It is nice country, back in Oct. 2013 I helped drive back my friend's vintage '66 Corsa Corvair convertible from Cottonwood! (gotta put the exclamation mark in) to central Ontario Canada. Rare car, 4 speed and factory air, but the motor is in the wrong end. I know Mr. Weeks knows everybody and everybody knows Kermit, but while waiting for the avionics to be debugged, did you think of calling Bob DeFord and checking out his homebuilt Spitfire? Cool machine. Great preview of the Gosshawk operation. What a teaser. Never did get a chance to hug one of those big cacti though...
A really beautiful aircraft and stunning scenery - I live in Cape Town, South Africa and was lucky to visit Sedona way back in 1992. Agree with your observations on the digital Pilot era Kermit. I am 60 years old and spent many years flying Gliders - In my personal opinion, based on my observations flying in tandem Gliders with qualified Pilots who had no previous gliding experience, Glider Pilots develop flying skills at an early stage which many qualified "Digital Era" Fixed wing Pilots lack today. I love your channel, thanks for the video can't wait for Part 3.
What a great adventure. So you navigated by following a road? That's a true IFR plan, as in I Follow Roads. :-D Looking forward to the next installment and the walk through of that PB4Y-2.
Mr Kermit, I am very much your fan God bless you for sharing with us, your videos, my biggest dream, and getting to know the United States, and its aeronautical museums, I am in love with the country and its aircraft, my favorite are the warbirds, from WW2, it is the love I have always felt for your nation and its planes is very strange, because I never went to America, nor did I travel by plane, in fact I never got close to one, I am very poor, so I ask God to help me realize my dream is so impossible, I love two planes and I dream every day that I am flying, a big hug for you and your family in this turbulent moment on our planet, you are in my prayers, that Jesus Christ will bring us peace.
