It has been two years since our last in-depth video interview with aviation collector, pilot, and Fantasy of Flight founder Kermit Weeks. With the recent groundbreaking for a major new hangar, it was the perfect time to reconnect and learn what’s next for the ever-evolving attraction in Polk City, Florida. I spoke with Kermit shortly after the ceremony to talk about the new development, the long journey from Acts I and II to the long-awaited Act III, and the larger vision he hopes to bring to life.
Building Toward Act III
Kermit has always believed that all great stories come in three acts. He began by stepping back to explain Fantasy of Flight’s evolution. “Act I was the Weeks Air Museum in Miami,” he said, referring to the facility he opened in 1985 and ultimately lost to Hurricane Andrew in 1992. “I had already been working on Fantasy of Flight in Central Florida for almost four years. Act II opened in Central Florida on 11/11/1995 and ended in 2014.”
During that period, Fantasy of Flight was the only place on the planet offering a daily flight demonstration—seven days a week. The attraction operated two primary hangars, with one devoted to active maintenance. Wanting to open our second maintenance hangar to visitors, I built a hangar across the runway, styled after the hangars at Hamilton Army Airfield—where the Enola Gay departed for the Pacific. The structure became part of visitor tram tours, though guests could only view the interior from a distance.
The New Hangar and What It Enables
With space running short and his long-term vision growing clearer, Weeks decided the time had come to begin Act III. Recently, on November 6, Fantasy of Flight officially broke ground on a second Hamilton-style hangar. The new building will mirror the existing hangar across the 50-foot-wide gift shop and restroom block, creating two large aircraft display spaces, each roughly 150 feet wide by 125 feet deep. Weeks says the added room is essential.“I’ve got airplane projects coming—a Douglas A-26, the Sikorsky S-38, a Boomerang, and another Ford Trimotor. I need the space, and this lets me move more airplanes out of Act II storage and expand what visitors can see.” It also allows me to begin turning the original facility into what it was always intended to be… my future shop! But the hangars are only part of the plan. Behind them, Weeks intends to build a new large-scale soundstage area, matching the full width of both hangars and the central block—350 feet by 125 feet (about 44,000 square feet). “This space is the true beginning of Act III,” he said. “It will let me deliver the attraction elements that explain what Fantasy of Flight is really about.”
Beyond Airplanes: A New Kind of Experience
Weeks is clear that the next phase is not simply about displaying more aircraft. “I love old airplanes, but aviation enthusiasts are only a part of the people I want to inspire. I’m going after the rest of the planet.” He wants to use flight as a metaphor for personal growth, which won’t be about aircraft flight, but flight of the human spirit. He says, “I’m not here to teach history, but to use history to teach you about yourself!”
One early concept illustrates how he plans to blend historical storytelling with themed entertainment. Inside the soundstage, he hopes to recreate the Wright brothers’ first flight using a full-scale Flyer mounted on a controlled track. “The first flight lasted 12 seconds and went 120 feet,” Weeks explained. “People will observe it, but the point isn’t that the Wrights were first—it’s that everyone has a dream, so what’s your first or next step? What’s your moonshot? What’s your 120 feet?” Should you wish to experience this, you would watch a short introduction, train briefly in a simulator, then lie prone in the Flyer for a controlled, symbolic “first flight.” Weeks envisions it as a personal, up-charge experience, performed publicly, while others watch and reflect. “It’s using history as a metaphor,” he said. “Using history to teach people to self-discover themselves.”
Lessons From Two False Starts
Weeks spoke candidly about earlier attempts to launch Act III. Two major design efforts were cut short—the first due to budget realities, and the second because of projections that the attraction might only break even after several years. “At that point, I realized my clientele still lies in the future,” he said. “I’m hoping to create something the rest of the planet will embrace, not just airplane people.” So, when the pandemic hit, the project paused again. But Weeks now feels the timing is right and the world is shifting in ways that will support the type of experience he wants to build. Instead of building out all of Act III at once, he will slowly implement it in ways to learn what works at fundable levels. “I feel people in the future will begin to ask deeper questions about their purpose and potential,” he said. “Fantasy of Flight is going to help them explore that through entertainment. Instead of escaping from reality, like the existing theme park industry, it will be about engaging with it.” To stay up to speed with the latest about Kermit Weeks, visit his Facebook page.
A New Energy and a Renewed Commitment
While Act III has been long in the making, Weeks feels more aligned with his vision than ever. “The hangars will show more airplanes, but that’s not my long-term goal,” he said. “What I’m going to do is use everything that Walt Disney left—great story, great mission, great ride technology, immersive environments and characters—but instead of escaping from reality, it’s about engaging reality.” As always, Weeks expressed gratitude to the aviation community, along with a reminder that the project aims far beyond it. “I’m creating something bigger. In the long run, it will be a win-win. The people who aren’t fascinated by airplanes will leave saying, ‘I had no idea how fascinating aviation history was that I relate to,’ while airplane people will realize how much more the metaphor or flight has to offer!”
