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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
I 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!
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
Great News!
My Gee Bee Book All of Life is a School won a Bronze Medal in the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards Children’s Picture Books (7 & Under) Category!
3,380 books were in entered in 65 National categories with an average of 50 contenders per category so I feel honored to have been included in the top three!
I originally came up with the idea for the characters many years ago and wrote it as a film script including songs. Without funding for the animation, I decided to get product on the shelf and condensed it down to an Illustrated Children’s book.
If you have an interest in the book, it can be purchased online at www.geebee.com or at our Fantasy of Flight gift shop. Catch me flying Airplane of the Day on weekends when I’m in town and I’d be happy to autograph and personalize a copy for you!
Kermit
Another character from my Gee Bee Book All of Life is a School has arrived at Fantasy of Flight . . . Missy!
She’s a faithful reproduction of the famous Brown B-2 racer Miss Los Angeles that raced in the 1934 Thompson Trophy Races, placing 2nd.
Since the original aircraft no longer exists, this aircraft was meticulously built by Bill Turner in the 1970’s. A 200 hp six-cylinder Ranger engine was used in lieu of the original, extremely rare, 300 hp six-cylinder Menasco engine. Until recently, Missy was on display at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Francisco.
The aircraft was flown as recently as a couple of years ago so we will put it on the maintenance schedule and get her flying again as soon as we can!
If you would like to share your love of the Golden Age Racers with a special child in your life, check out Missy and her friends at www.geebee.com.
Kermit
TODAY IS THE END OF AN ERA!
The last truckload of all my aircraft parts arrived from Miami, ending over a decade and a half of trucking to Fantasy of Flight. Fantasy of Flight restorer and mechanic Paul Stecewycz was in charge of the effort and hauled most of the almost 200 truckloads. In January, I flew the Grumman TBM Avenger up, which was that last flyable aircraft we had left in Miami at what was the old Weeks Air Museum facility at the Tamiami Airport. One or two other loads were brought up recently leaving only the wing of my Kawasaki Ki-46 Hein Japanese fighter.
Hurricane Andrew clean-up of Weeks Air Museum two weeks after August 24, 1992
I originally purchased the Fantasy of Flight property in 1987 and after four years of permitting and dealing with 17 regulatory agencies I finally got the permits to build Fantasy of Flight four months after Hurricane Andrew devastated my Miami facility on August 24th, 1992. Within a year I moved to Central Florida to focus on the project. The first building completed was the storage building on site where we now offer daily tours. I eventually sold my house and warehouses and now the only thing I have left in Miami is my mother!
Paul insisted on making the last load, and rightly so, for he said it would be somewhat of a “spiritual experience” for him as it closed the door on a very long project. Paul was responsible for inventorying many boxes of parts brought up that now reside either as airplanes on display or pallet racks of parts stored to the ceilings in two buildings totaling 44,000 square feet.
It was somewhat of a surprise when he rounded the corner of the building for “a photo shot for my blog.” What he didn’t realize was that he was met with a banner, many of the Fantasy of Flight staff, champagne, and cake. After a quick speech and a toast, I presented Paul with a trophy thanking him for all his hard work and effort. We will display the banner in the restoration facility as a reminder of a past gone by!
Kermit