There was a convergence of visitors to Polk City on December 28 - Joanne and Greg from the east, Kathy and Mark from the west. The draw? Fantasy of Flight...well, actually a particular tour guide at FoF - dad. We were greeted by 'the dad' in his leather flight jacket and by Smilin' Jack wearing some sort of knicker ensemble complete with a beret and trailing scarf. Characters out of central casting.
We were all amazed, as perhaps most people are, of the volume of aircraft at this place. And it seems they are mostly significant aircraft that meet the collection requirements of Kermit Weeks, the man behind the plan. Kermit inherited his fortune from oil discoveries by his grandfather, and decided to follow his passion of rebuilding vintage aircraft to exact specifications, including flying specs. To share his passion, he opened his hangars in Polk City to the public (after moving there from Miami when Hurricane Andrew made its impact on his collection). Kermit's planes have been used in many movies since they actually fly, and most if not all have a unique story behind them.
Lots to see, lots to learn and experience. Dad was a superb tour guide in his sharing volumes of information, but making it relateable to the visitors with mentions of recognizable names and events. Joanne now knows more about airplane engines than she had ever planned. My favorite plane - the african bush plane painted like a giraffe, complete with giraffe needlepoint pillows inside. A highlight - Kermit flying his P-51 Mustang, strafing the field at 250 mph. Wow!
The renovation hangers were remarkable. Airplane frames of all kinds and decades are everywhere, wings and propellers are hanging or stuffed in any spare space, engines and pieces parts sitting in corners and on tables in the midst of their renewals. But all activity seemed to be in very slow motion. Planes take years to renovate... more than 10 years is not considered too long.
