World's Greatest Aircraft Collection (FA08)

oldsamer

Is a private grass field in central Florida with nice mid 1930s buildings.

Aces team put a monument there! First I've seen playing the sim.

cheezyflier · Captain Joined: Mar 13, 2007 Posts: 588

dude, something about your cub don't look quite right.....

oldsamer · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:01 pm Post subject:

I learned to open the hatch and standup when taxing, it's the only way to see where I'm goin!

cheezyflier · Captain Joined: Mar 13, 2007 Posts: 588

i found it interesting, so i went to the same place in FS9.
the plane is there, stuck in the ground, but on the other end of the property, not near the hangars. i took a screenie of it, but was unable to post it because photobucket is down for the 5 zillionth time in the past couple of weeks, and i cant get to it.

i was in north carolina once, i think in winston salem, and i went to a resturaunt that had a plane sticking out of the roof.
i can't remember ezzakily where it was, that was about 14 years ago

Tailhook · Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:07 am Post subject:

Your leading me astray cheezyflier, went there just now as you said in fs9 but couldn't find the DC-3 that Oldsamer parked there nose first Unsure

Saw the lovely buildings and plenty of AI traffic... a Caravan was trying to muscle me off the grass strip sneaking up from behind - but I was in a P-51 hehe... no DC-3 though.

oldsamer this is one of your classic screenies - unique and unequaled Cheers!

cheezyflier · Captain Joined: Mar 13, 2007 Posts: 588

cheezyflier · Captain Joined: Mar 13, 2007 Posts: 588

i just googled them, they have a really cool website!

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/index.htm

if you look at the press releases you will see that the dc may have been moved after a restoration, although it's not really clear. one thing that is clear, however, is that they have an awful lot of really cool stuff that goes on there. it has been added to the "places i want to go to before i die" list. (after all, going there after i die would be sorta anti-climactic)

Tailhook · Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 8:01 am Post subject:

Hey your spinning me out CF - I've only just revisited and found the DC-3. Should have thought of that myself - the best way to look around is in a chopper.

Sorry about the quality of the capture... can't remember how to do this stuff Very Happy

You like my whirry? whirly? bird?? Cool

oldsamer · Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:26 pm Post subject:

OK, that's FS9, Same DC-3 is on the concrete apron in FSX @ (FA08). Where I was "Impact" crashed by one of my gooffy "student pilot" AIs. I run 100% sim GA traffic AND 100% GA_Traffic addon configured as students in yellow cubs, all doin touch-in-gos. It's greatly annoying that AIs can taxi THROUGH buildings and crash into me!!

SO, what's FANTASY OF FLIGHT? Florida is a really nice place to fly cubs in the winter time.

cheezyflier · Captain Joined: Mar 13, 2007 Posts: 588

oldsamer, do i understand correctly that you have been to this place?

also, tailhook what is that heli you have there? it seems interesting with the counter rotating....rotors.

oldsamer · Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:29 pm Post subject:

Not been there "actual". IAW their website, seems to be a private collection of somebody with too much money! Deffinity put this place on my "goto" list.

That begs the question, How did the collections existance get "monumented" in Fight simulator? That DC-3 is a unique graphic object used only once.

Bet he provided an aircraft or two for original modeling.

chrisjoi · Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 11:56 pm Post subject: Fantasy of Flight

I have visited Fantasy of Flight more times than I can count. It is owned by a gentleman named Kermit Weeks. Yes he inherited a ton of money from his grandfather whom was in the oil business, but instead of spending the money on less important things, he has the largest private aircraft collection in the world.

I visit at least once a year during Sun-N-Fun, the Experimental Aircraft Association held each April in nearby Lakeland Florida.

As for really interesting events, they never seem to end there. My most memorable visit was the unveiling of his trainer P-40. He had all the surviving members of the "Flying Tigers" squadron there and he took them up one by one in the his two-seat P-40 and let them take the controls. Most of them were in their 80's and it had to be the best thing to happen to them.

A couple of my pics there:

This is Hangar 1:

This is Hangar 2:

This is the ramp outside Hangars 1 and 2:

This is part of the backlot tour, he has all kinds of spare parts and project aircraft waiting for restoration. Oh yeah, all his aircraft on display are in flying condition!

If you have the chance, by all means visit Fantasy of Flight. It is an incredible place to go if you love aviation.

As for the DC-3. In years past it was placed at the end of his private runway with the nose into the ground and a fake paratrooper hanging from the tail. It was moved back to the main hangar area for reasons unknown to me. It was rumored that too many 911 calls from passing motorists led to the move but I cannot confirm that.[img][/img][img][/img]

Tailhook · Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:09 am Post subject:

Wow chrisjoi this looks like paradise, thanks for that. I fancy the shiny P-51 in hangar 2 but would really like to know what type of flying boat that is in hangar 1 - any idea? Interesting about those 911 calls Very Happy

@cheezyflier the chopper in my pic is a Kamov-26. This baby is really easy to fly. The twin rotors counteract the torque that I struggle with in the single rotor choppers. I'll see if I can find out where I got it from.

cheezyflier · Captain Joined: Mar 13, 2007 Posts: 588

those pics are awesome!!!!!! the boat looks like a sunderland, but could be a short solent. i know who would know, if you had a mind to ask him, and after corresponding by email with him recently, i learned he is a really cool guy. his name is Geoff Reichelt and he knows eveything there is to know about them. his website has his email addy, and you should realy see what he is doing:
http://www.airwaveyachts.com.au/Aircraft/Index.html
his stuff will amaze all of you. he is a true artist of aviation.

on another note, that kamov-26 looks cool, i think i will look around for it too. i have been flying heli's lately, they used to make me cry, but i am getting better with them. i noticed you have a talent for finding interesting files. for instance, the huey had no read me file, but was an awesome download.
the tom i got was really cool too, but noticed the files were done a little differently also.

chrisjoi · Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 12:56 am Post subject: Good eyes

Tail hook you have good taste in aircraft. The shiny P-51D in hangar 2 is painted in the colors of George Preddy's last aircraft "Cripes A'Mighty 3rd". For those who care, George Preddy was the top scoring P-51 Ace of WW II. Unfortunately he was hit by friendly AA fire while chasing an enemy across a friendly base. In front of the P-51D is a beautiful P-51C painted in the colors of Lee Archer's Tuskegee Airmen aircraft. The red tail is a signature of the Tuskegee Airmen. Kermit Weeks has had Lee Archer as a guest on a number of occasions.

Cheezyflier is right on the flying boat, it is a Short Sunderland. It is open to interior touring for all visitors. It is deceptively large. I could really get used to traveling in something that nice.

Remember that everthing you see on display is in flying condition. Each day Kermit or one of his chosen few take one of the aircraft up for a demonstration flight. You never know which aircraft he will fly till you show up.

Best to each of you!

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