Kermit's Blog

Change yourself . . . and you change the World!

“Ghost Tours” at Fantasy of Flight!

For many years, Fantasy of Flight employees have reported strange happenings at the attraction including; things falling off shelves, adding and copying machines running by themselves, a sense of presences, and actual sightings.  We just came to accept them over the years and assume their energies are connected to the airplanes.  I also sense they’re connected to what we are trying to create as well, which is partly to get people to look beyond their five-sense reality and realize more of what they truly are.

Several years ago, we had an amateur Paranormal Research Group approach us wanting to check out Fantasy of Flight for paranormal activity.  We did not instigate this, they came to us.  They did two separate all-night investigations several months apart and came up with some really interesting stuff.  One of the more profound pictures came from inside the B-17 when a presence was sensed and a digital photo was taken.  What showed up was an absolutely clear full-color person that appears to be a scared B-17 crew member wearing a May West and sporting a five-O’clock shadow!

Original Ghost Photo in B-17. Notice three fingers coming down from the top and yellow Mae West.

We went back later to try and duplicate the photo with someone standing on a ladder looking in but you could barely make them out.  After some shots were taken inside the airplane with an onlooker, it became apparent the flash from the camera was helping reflect their image on the Plexiglass window.  Once we realized the green airplane part the “person” was peering around was the curved bulkhead inside the airplane, we realized the “person” was not peering from outside the airplane but from the INSIDE!

Look at the expression on the face, the five O'Clock shadow, and a scar or blood on the forehead!

About a year later, a completely separate group came to us after one of their friend’s wife mentioned seeing an apparition while visiting Fantasy of Flight.  She saw it sitting in one of the P-51 Mustangs, in broad daylight, complete with helmet and goggles!  When she turned away and then looked back, it was gone.  She was a very religions person and, with conviction, told the story until she passed away.  Because of this somewhat synchronistic event, the second group came to us and did several investigations.  They told us, on a scale of one to ten regarding activity, Fantasy of Flight was an eleven!  We since hired them to run the actual investigations for the public, which normally include three groups of ten.  We began with three scheduled events but quickly had to add four more because of the interest.  One person has attended four times!

Photo taken in Fightertown with a camera set up on a tripod with a timer

These are NOT Ghost Tours, but serious investigations.  I attended one of the early ones before we offered them to the public and meditated in the B-17 after midnight for an hour and a half.  Once I felt somewhat connected to their energies, I first asked if any wanted to move beyond their current reality, as I have LOTS of “Friends” on the Other Side I met during my explorations of Inner Realities that could help them out.  I sensed a very small percentage (2-4%) moved on.   When I asked if the rest were OK with us doing the investigations, I got back a resounding, “Hell yeah!”

Overall, Night Flight has been a great success!  We make it a point NOT to pre-load people prior to the investigations about specifics but later open up at the end.  During the debriefings, most relate some type of connection and/or experience from the investigation!  Some feel they have been physically touched or see things, and several women, on separate investigations, have been overcome by such a strong sense of sadness in one particular spot they’ve had to leave the room.  Recently, there has been one apparent apparition that has shown up twice in full physical form that is neither anyone working for me or is one of the patrons!  This will be one to look out for in the future.

Night Flight experiences are currently held on Saturday nights from 9:30pm – 1:30pm.  Check them out at http://www.nightflightexperience.com/.

Kermit

Two Stars for FAA Safety Videos!

I was recently asked to help do some FAA Safety Videos with aviation enthusiast and Country Star, Aaron Tippin!  FAA video crews used Fantasy of Flight as a backdrop over several days to film segments promoting aviation safety.  Aaron flew down from Nashville and spent about five hours with them narrating.  My part was with Aaron and took place in the Compass Rose Restaurant.  We had a lot of fun trying to act natural while trying to read the FAA script on the teleprompter.

Filming in the Compass Rose Restaurant

Aaron had been to Fantasy of Flight several years ago and gave Teresa, Katie and I some VIP passes to a concert he did over at the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In several years ago after his visit.  I’ve since bumped into him at various aviation events.  I can’t wait to see how we did and hope we can make a difference!

Kermit

Naked in Jamaica Rum!

Rough Concept for a Bottle Label

Believe it or not I’ve actually been blending my own private label rum lately.  I’ve always enjoyed drinking Dark Rum and Orange Juice and, many years ago, while Teresa and I were dating, I wrote a song on the beach in Negril, Jamaica called “Naked in Jamaica!”

I recorded a long, as well as a short version but have released neither.  The long version is twelve-minutes long but has a parody at the end using the song “Rawhide” which I have yet to get approval for.  I see the long version as an audio track for a film short one day but could release the short version as it’s all my material.  It may have Spring Break cult potential!

Here’s half of one of the chorus’s -

I’m Naked in Jamaica while I work upon my tan . . .

Refresh my drink, got time to think, and could while I still can.

The sun, the breeze, my drink, the view, I soak them all within . . .

It’s time to turn, so I won’t burn, and tan my tender skin!

Anyway, I decided I needed to come up with my own private label rum brand and just started learning about the whole process at a local distillery.  The first thing I learned is that it’s not a science . . . it’s an art!  Can life get any better!

Kermit

Tuskegee Airmen Symposium at Fantasy of Flight!

We recently hosted a symposium with several Tuskegee Airmen at Fantasy of Flight in celebration of Black History month.  It was a great success and over the three-day event 500 school kids, as well as many adults, came out to hear their stories, ask questions, and get autographs.

With Roscoe Brown - 1st pilot ever to shoot down a German Me-262 Jet!

Flying "Ina the Macon Belle"

I flew the P-51C Mustang ”Ina the Macon Belle” all three days, which is painted in the colors of Lee Archer, the highest scoring Tuskegee pilot.  Lee was looking forward to coming down for the event but fell ill three weeks prior and passed away.  His story was covered on many of the National news stations and he was buried with full-military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.  Lee was a great friend and, while he will be surely missed, his story and the story of the Tuskegee Airmen will continue to live on at Fantasy of Flight!

Kermit

WWI DeHavilland-4 Project Arrives!

WWI DH-4 on display in Fantasy of Flight Hangar

Our second DH-4 arrived recently, which concludes a trade I made several years ago.  This new addition was built from original plans and represents the only American-built airplane to see action in the First World War.  It was of British design but used an American 400hp Liberty engine.

This is our second DH-4, the first being a rebuilt original DH-4 Mailplane that has been at Fantasy of Flight on display in the Wood Shop for several years now. Part of the trade included several airplane projects I had that were duplicates and supplying 3 static Liberty engines from the many in the collection.  During the engine build-up process, we set aside enough good parts for two runnable engines, as we intend to fly both aircraft.  Unfortunately, we have plenty to do before turning our attention to the DeHavillands but, at least, they are both currently on display until we do!

Kermit

Annual Heli-Ski Trip – 2010!

Just thought I’d show a few shots of some impressive Heli-ski landing spots from my recent trip to the Cariboos in the Canadian Rockies.  The Helicopter is basically your chair lift and you ski with a guide that is familiar with the territory, which usually encompasses about 25 square miles of terrain.  We had a good week and left just in time as the snow conditions began to get a bit dicey.

Kermit

“Quail Hunt” with Aviation Notables!

I got a chance to enjoy a couple of days with aviation friends on a 200,000 acres ranch in west Texas.  The premise of the weekend event is to hunt Quail, which I don’t think I could actually do because they’re so cute!  They always win anyway!  The shots I’ve mainly observed over the years mostly involve alcohol so it’s mostly about having fun, camaraderie, and telling stories!  I did actually fire a gun this time and hit a cactus but neglected to clean it and bring it back as proof of my hunting prowess!

Kind of says it all!

It’s somewhat difficult to get to the Ranch as there are no airports anywhere near by with airline service so everyone flies there in private airplanes.   This was my third event and the first year I got a ride out in a twin-Beech.   Past notables included Tex Hill, highest-scoring Flying Tiger Ace, and Dick Cole, who was Jimmy Doolittle’s copilot.  It’s always right after the Living Legends event in Beverly Hills, CA so I catch a ride the best way I can.  This year I had the opportunity to fly out from Dallas with Southwest Airlines legend Herb Kelleher and several others in a Lear 55.

Kermit with Herb Kelleher - "Cashew Class!"

It’s great to mingle with other successful and passionate people and learn from their successes as well as share what I’m doing.  I’m a firm believer in networking and the “butterfly effect” so it will be interesting to see where all this goes!

Kermit

Sikorsky S-39 on Display!

Kermit and Dick Jackson with the Sikorsky S-39

Dick Jackson’s 1930 Sikorsky S-39 in now on display at Fantasy of Flight, at least through the Sun ‘n Fun Splash-In, which takes place at Fantasy of Flight.  Dick brought the airplane down before the cold weather up north set in.  It is a gorgeous restoration that encompasses 40 years of Dick’s life and about 40,000 hours of work!  If you can come the day of the Splash-In on April 15th, 2010, you should be able to see it flying!

Kermit

Living Legends of Aviation Award!

I was honored this year to be presented the Freedom of Flight Award at the 7th Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards Banquet last January.  I have been part of this illustrious group of 70 “Legends” for four years now which is made up of Celebrities in “Aviation” as well as “Celebrities” in Aviation.  It’s a unique group of people gathered around their love and passion for flight.

Award recipients this year included other aviation notables as well as Hollywood stars Kurt Russell and Tom Cruise.  Great friend, airshow pilot, and Heli-ski partner Sean Tucker MC’d the event and, after a few comments, introduced the famous Bob Hoover to present me with my Award.

Kermit, Bob Hoover and Teresa at the Living Legends of Aviation Awards

I got a chance to deliver an acceptance speech and got a lot of great comments from people afterwards.  My mother, sister, and wife Teresa flew out to the Beverly Hills event to support me and take in the sights.  This was Teresa’s Legends event but I don’t think it will be her last!

Check out this Youtube clip to see some of the highlights and people that attended.  Teresa and I get a few frames!  http://www.tomkatcrazy.com/living-legends-of-aviation-tom-cruise-john-travolta-kurt-russell/

Kermit

Amazing Reading of Past Lives!

I was recently introduced, somewhat synchronistically, to a gentleman named Kevin Blackwell through a roommate I had at The Monroe Institute.  As I have indicated in several previous Blog Posts, I have been working on my book “The Journey Never Ends!”, which is about my two-year, ten-Program experience there.  I have been slowly making progress on the Summary, which has been like herding cats because of all the material.  I recently gave the Introduction and first three Chapters to the President and the Director of The Monroe Institute for approval of my format for the book, which includes a lot of TMI proprietary material.

Anyway, something was telling me I was supposed to go see Kevin, who reportedly had a talent for connecting with people from the past . . . potentially, anybody!  I proceeded cautiously but realized, if he did have this talent, he could confirm several interesting past life connections I learned about during my inner explorations at The Monroe Institute.  Some would be considered controversial in the best of circumstances so I followed where the energies were leading me and contacted Kevin by email.  I told him I wanted to try something different than what he might be used to and, if he was truly connected, my approach would work.

I told him I wanted to make four connections but did not elaborate.  They could have been anybody but they were actually all me.  Prior to arriving at his home in Santa Fe, NM I wrote the four alleged past life connections on a piece of paper and put it away.  He knew NOTHING of my intent and I sensed, if this was truly meant to be, he would be given whatever information I was to receive from an objective and non-bias perspective.  Just before we began I asked, “Oh, by the way, could you please do them in chronological order?” We spent the whole day doing the readings.

Not only did he nail the order, he confirmed much of the information I received at Monroe and elaborated on them even further!  We were both blown away by the information as well as the experience.  His readings have now become a 64-page Appendix item in my book!

Several months after the readings I had the opportunity to show Kevin around Fantasy of Flight and treat him to a ride in the P-51D.  If you want to learn more about Kevin he has several interesting clips on Youtube.

Kermit