Posted by on Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Filed in: Fun Travel, Kermit Weeks
commentsPost a comment →

Galapagos Trip!

Teresa, Katie and I headed down to the equator for a trip to the Galapagos last summer and had a great time.  I had actually been once before in the seventies when tourism first opened up and was on the first boat ever to give tours.  The government of Ecuador has done a great job leaving everything natural and the birds and animals still aren’t bothered in the least bit by human visitors.

Katie checking out a Galapagos Tortoise in the wild

We got a chance to see the tortoises, fur seals, all sorts of birds, land and marine iguanas, and lots of flora and fauna.  Katie did her first ocean snorkeling and did a great job, even when an eight foot shark swam under us!  She loved swimming with the fur seals.  I bought a T-shirt down there with a statement by Charles Darwin that totally ties in with how I see life and the Fantasy of Flight concept –

“It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives.

It is the one that is the most adaptable to change!”

If there is one thing I’ve learned in life . . . the only thing consistent in it is change!

Kermit "getting into" the Galapagos experience!

In the long run, the Fantasy of Flight concept is all about taking a step beyond what you perceive yourself to be.  I’m not sure I’ve evolved much but we’ve all got to start somewhere!  In my case, I suppose it’s from the ground up!

Kermit

I am about six months behind on my blog posts because there has been so much going on and I’ve been traveling so much!  I will begin with a cool shot I took several years ago of the sun rising by the Fantasy of Flight Water Tower.

I get to see the sunrise over my dream every day and during the summer rainy months it is not uncommon in the evening to see a huge rainbow going from one end of the Fantasy of Flight property to the other!

Kermit

Reno 2009 b smallI just got the numbers in from my Gee Bee Book sales at the Reno Air Races and I’m really excited.  Last year I sold out of 550 books and this year I sold another 500+ books! 

I wasn’t sure what kind of response I would get because of all the books I sold last year but they kept selling.  There were many new buyers as well as some past buyers that wanted more.  Many of the past buyers came by to tell me how much their kids loved the book and wanted to know when the next one would be out.  I took that as a challenge to try and get the next one published in time for Oshkosh and Reno next year!

This person purchased 10 Books for his family and friends!
This person purchased 10 Books for his family and friends!

 

I have already begun researching and writing the story, which will be called “The Spirit of Lindy!”  Again, it all begins at Fantasy of Flight and you can probably imagine what might happen.  I will be introducing at least two new characters and have a couple of cute ideas that will make it a fun story.  The message in the book has the potential to be more powerful than All of Life is a School. 

The animators I used for the first book just finished about 20% of the latest Disney film, “The Princes and the Frog!”  So, it seems I am working with the best.  Stay tuned for more updates!

Kermit

 

Weeks Solution over Mesa, AZ where I won my first of two US National Aerobatic Championships

Weeks Solution over Mesa, AZ where I won my first US National Aerobatic Championships

Unbelievably, several weeks ago someone broke into one of our offsite storage facilites and stole the engine off my Weeks Solution biplane!  By chance, one of my mechanics happened to be in the facility the next morning and noticed a bunch of oil on the floor.  Since most of the airplanes in storage are in pieces, he didn’t initially notice the whole front end of the airplane was missing until he saw some of the engine cowling lying about.

Apparently, the perpetrators had previously broken in and staked the place out first.  It is all you can do to walk through as it is packed with almost no floorspace.  They must have decided the only thing they could get out the door with any value was my engine so, they came back and actually cut it off the engine mount!  No small feat since there’s no lights or electricity in the building.  It would have taken at least three people to get it off, drag it 30 feet out the door, and then lift the 300 lb. engine into the back of a small pickup truck.

Kermit with Weeks Solution at WAC 1986

At the World Aerobatic Championships in England 1986

The police came out the next morning, we filed a report, and there was a LOT of press including, two news stations, several papers, a magazine, and a radio station.  I’m sure it was thieves in the local area and the engine is probably destined for an airboat, because without the log books the engine could not be used in an airplane without an overhaul.

I designed and built the airplane myself and first test flew it in 1980.  I flew it in competitions around the world until it was highly damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.  I’m sure the thieves had no idea the historical value of the engine, as it powered me to become a two-time US National Aerobatic Champion and win 12 medals in four World Aerobatic Championships.

Winning Team Gold Medal in WAC 1984 - Hungary

Kermit winning Gold with US Team in Hungary 1984

We notified every engine builder and airboat shop in the area as well as the Fish & Wildlife agency so everyone is on the lookout.  It is a six-cylinder 300 hp. Lycoming IO-540, serial number L 8000-48 with a non-standard sump on it.  Most Lycoming engines are painted grey but mine was black.

If you happen to run across it, and can help me get it back intact, I’m offering a $5000 reward.  Thanks for your interest and please pass the word!

Kermit

I just got the final results in from my Oshkosh sales.  While I didn’t sell as many Gee Bee Books as last year, I definitely sold more product!  Last year was the first year the book came out and I sold 420, although I did run out of books with three more days left of the Fly-In.  This year I sold 350 Gee Bee Books, as well as, 100 Audio Experience CD’s, and 120 Wizard of Orlampa DVD’s.   EAA rolled out the red carpet for me and gave me my own spot, Kermit’s Corner, in the EAA Wearhouse Merchandise building near Aeroshell Square.

kermit's corner

I introduced two showings of the Wizard of Orlampa in the EAA Museum Theater and got a great response.  When I arrived for my second showing on Thursday morning, the AV guy came out and told me it was the biggest crowd he had seen all week!  All the seats were filled with many people sitting in the aisles!  I also got a chance to read the Gee Bee Book several times at Kid Venture and gave away six Gee Bee Books as prizes.

Handing out three Gee Bee Books after reading to the crowd!

Handing out three Gee Bee Books as prizes after reading to the crowd!

On Thursday night, at the Young Eagles event, I was an auction item and my Vision Tour package including an airplane flight raised $4000!  All in all it was a great trip!

Kermit

1 20 21 22 23 24 30