Met Kermit Weeks and a very neat airplane

alfadog

alfadog

Final Approach
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
5,057
Location
Miami
Display Name
Display name:
alfadog
Last Thursday, there was a very very cool looking airplane parked outside the FBO at Lantana, KLNA. I took some pictures then went inside for a bit. Fellow came in asking where to pay for fuel and damn if it wasn't Kermit Weeks. I said hey Kermit Weeks, let me shake your hand. We chatted a bit, he was just a normal Airplane Guy albeit with a ton of money. And toys. Lots of toys.

The airplane was a Sikorsky S-39 flying boat. I think Kermit said it was 1931 vintage. He was flying it to the Stuart Air Show.

20191031_121428.jpg 20191031_121443.jpg 20191031_121235.jpg 20191031_121346.jpg 20191031_121428.jpg 20191031_121355.jpg
 
Just about the coolest thing I've seen in a LONG time! Thanks for posting the pics.
 
I don't know who Kermit Weeks is but that is a cool looking plane. The paint job is a little off putting but the plane itself looks pretty cool.
Guessing this is a rare high wing which would require a fuel pump rather than a "both"?
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I don't know who Kermit Weeks is but that is a cool looking plane. The paint job is a little off putting but the plane itself looks pretty cool.
Guessing this is a rare high wing which would require a fuel pump rather than a "both"?
Click to expand...
You should look him up... interesting guy! That paint scheme is the same as when Howard Hughes owned the plane. Kermit told me the ghost of Howard Hughes went to the previous owner to convince him that he should sell the plane to Kermit.

The first time I met Kermit, I shared a hangar with a gyroplane. When I got to the hangar, I found a strange guy walking around with a selfie stick and a GoPro talking to the camera and walking around the gyro. He introduced himself as Kermit and he told me he was there to train in gyros because he has a Pitcairn Gyro he wants to fly. I thought he was interesting, but didn't think much about it. I started home and it hit me... Kermit was Kermit Weeks. I made a u-turn and ended up taking him out for drinks that night. Very interesting stories were told!!
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I don't know who Kermit Weeks is but that is a cool looking plane. The paint job is a little off putting but the plane itself looks pretty cool.
Guessing this is a rare high wing which would require a fuel pump rather than a "both"?
Click to expand...
Bryan, you need to put the video camera down and get out more often. %^)

How is it that anyone in aviation hasn't heard of Kermit???

He is a generous, involved and motivational part of the general aviation community and has been for many years. While he may have money, he seems to put every dime of it into restoring, displaying and supporting aviation history. I only know a fraction of his story but he's worth checking out and following on Facebook.
 
Look Nerds. Kermit is one of the top pilots around and he is using a genuine paper chart sectional just like me. As well as an I pad etc.
Kermit is in a rare category as a pilot, but as a few years ago he did not have an instrument rating! By the way, he is an very good skier also and that is rare for a pilot from Florida. His Mom was a ski instructor when he was growing up, I think had a condo somewhere in Utah. Kermit was also I think a gymnast so is very fit and agile. I haven't been to Florida in a few, in too many years, but I enjoy seeing him most every year at Oshkosh.
Years ago we were in Breckenridge and I offered him to fly my airplane if he wanted to. A lot of pilots would not take the time to get acquainted with it, Kermit sat down and read the entire Pilot Notes, then of course went flying and did fine. He bought a Corsair once and to get used to is did multiple touch and go landings at BKD, he would come in touch down on one gear and then add a little power and just lift off and touch back down on the other wheel. Not your average level of skill. When he competed it acro years ago he was one of the best. He has written some aviation oriented kids books which make great gifts also. He is a sponsor at EAA and the big hangar on the north side next to Basler is the Weeks hangar for special stuff.
 
Last edited:
I love watching his Youtube videos. He flies some really cool stuff.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I don't know who Kermit Weeks is...
Click to expand...

Is this what happens when you experience life through a viewfinder?
Just askin' ;)

Good thing you have a big collection of "best friends" to see you through. :D
 
Bill Greenwood said:
A lot of pilots would not take the time to get acquainted with it, Kermit sat down and read the entire Pilot Notes, then of course went flying and did fine.
Click to expand...

What type of plane?
 
That flying boat and its bigger brother (the S-38) are both pretty short coupled for a taildragger with that much surface area. Putting the tailwheel on the hull really reduced the wheelbase.

I bet that thing is a handful in a crosswind.
 
GRG55 said:
Is this what happens when you experience life through a viewfinder?
Just askin' ;)

Good thing you have a big collection of "best friends" to see you through. :D
Click to expand...

I have heard the name but I don't take in much aviation media content outside of reading POA and a couple facebook groups.
 
Kermit is amazing....as is the museum! Back when he was a puppy, he had a thing for my best friend's daughter, who he met at OSH. Kermit gave my bud and I a couple hour tour after hours, when we were down for Sun n Fun. Petted and sat in all the airplanes, flew the sims....incredible.

Silly girl didn't want anything to do with him...sigh!

Jim
 
Did all the Sikorsky flying boats of that era have those paint jobs?
rs=w:600,h:600


The Spirit of Africa and the Ark, belonging to Martin & Osa Johnson.
 
Certainly not but Martin and Osa Johnson were pretty famous with their's. They traveled Africa together and made some of the first wildlife documentaries there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_and_Osa_Johnson

They would come home to America and tour showing the films and make enough money to head out again.
 
I fly to fly. On planes I dont fly or dont plan to fly, I rarely give two craps about. Same with pilots. People post about so and so pilot died or met so and so pilot at this thing. Again, I dont care. It doesn't affect me personally so it's a yawned for me. I will probably never meet whomever it is that's being talked about. I prefer to do my own thing, not live through others. Kermit Weeks, wouldn't know him if I had a wide stance in a men's room in Minnetonka and he reacted favorably. That airplane, no clue what it is and don't care since I'll probably never own one.

Same goes for all my other hobbies as well.
 
Pugs said:
Certainly not but Martin and Osa Johnson were pretty famous with their's. They traveled Africa together and made some of the first wildlife documentaries there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_and_Osa_Johnson

They would come home to America and tour showing the films and make enough money to head out again.
Click to expand...
\Yes. I have copies of both "I Married Adventure" and "Four Years in Paradise"
 
EdFred said:
I fly to fly. On planes I dont fly or dont plan to fly, I rarely give two craps about. Same with pilots. People post about so and so pilot died or met so and so pilot at this thing. Again, I dont care. It doesn't affect me personally so it's a yawned for me. I will probably never meet whomever it is that's being talked about. I prefer to do my own thing, not live through others. Kermit Weeks, wouldn't know him if I had a wide stance in a men's room in Minnetonka and he reacted favorably. That airplane, no clue what it is and don't care since I'll probably never own one.

Same goes for all my other hobbies as well.
Click to expand...

If it's peripheral to my interests... antique airplanes interest me, so Kermit's activities are interesting (having spent a weekend at his FoF flying paramotors and meeting him is a factor too). Ditto for the current crop of bush flying stars, my flying is close enough that I can relate even if I don't and likely won't own a Kitfox. Pro sports bore me to tears since I have no connection. Videos about IFR flying or most any modern plane, ditto.
 
EdFred said:
I fly to fly. On planes I dont fly or dont plan to fly, I rarely give two craps about. Same with pilots. People post about so and so pilot died or met so and so pilot at this thing. Again, I dont care. It doesn't affect me personally so it's a yawned for me. I will probably never meet whomever it is that's being talked about. I prefer to do my own thing, not live through others. Kermit Weeks, wouldn't know him if I had a wide stance in a men's room in Minnetonka and he reacted favorably. That airplane, no clue what it is and don't care since I'll probably never own one.

Same goes for all my other hobbies as well.
Click to expand...

1106514-cool_story_bro_super.jpg
 
So I'm not allowed to say why I don't get into knobslobbing every pilot out there like I'm evidently supposed to? Got it. Here's a napkin, you've got some on your chin.
 
EdFred said:
So I'm not allowed to say why I don't get into knobslobbing every pilot out there like I'm evidently supposed to? Got it. Here's a napkin, you've got some on your chin.
Click to expand...
So, if that’s how you feel, what was your point in even posting in this thread?
 
Fearless Tower said:
So, if that’s how you feel, what was your point in even posting in this thread?
Click to expand...

A response to post #8. Like it's some sort of mandate we're all supposed to fawn over people that have zero effect on our lives. Or do I need to submit my posts to a quorum to see if that sort of response is allowed since it's not an ooh ah rah rah post?
 
You did break decorum by being homophobic, even in jest. The world has changed and that is no longer acceptable. You can talk about pilots however you want (even sixpapacharlie), but I won’t tolerate racism or homophobia.
 
EdFred said:
I fly to fly. On planes I dont fly or dont plan to fly, I rarely give two craps about. Same with pilots. People post about so and so pilot died or met so and so pilot at this thing. Again, I dont care. It doesn't affect me personally so it's a yawned for me. I will probably never meet whomever it is that's being talked about. I prefer to do my own thing, not live through others. Kermit Weeks, wouldn't know him if I had a wide stance in a men's room in Minnetonka and he reacted favorably. That airplane, no clue what it is and don't care since I'll probably never own one.

Same goes for all my other hobbies as well.
Click to expand...
Your avatar is appropriate to that post.
 
Matthew Rogers said:
You did break decorum by being homophobic, even in jest. The world has changed and that is no longer acceptable. You can talk about pilots however you want (even sixpapacharlie), but I won’t tolerate racism or homophobia.
Click to expand...
I do not have an irrational fear of gay people, and the term as used is in no way any sort of slur. I'm sorry you're so sensitive that you can't handle that.

Edit: If the OP said it was a female pilot they met, and I made the equivalent comment between a male and female, would that make me a heterophobe in your eyes? Probably not. It was about how much worship that goes on with some people. The fact that KW happens to be a guy (an apparently also a different ethnic background than myself - I don't know, I've never met the guy or seen pictures since I'm also now a racist too) has nothing to do with it. And as you have zero idea about my personal life and who I am or am not, maybe you throwing out the homophobic and racist labels says more about you than me.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top