KALAMAZOO AIR ZOO MUSEUM - Kermie Cam Tour
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- OK, Gang, here’s the fastest turnaround video link we’ve ever posted! It’s from last Saturday when I visited the Kalamazoo Air Zoo!
I hope it inspires you to visit if you’re ever in the area!
We're breaking up the B-17 uploads. Part 2 will debut next week!
Kermit Weeks
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Kermit Weeks
I took a vacation to orlando and took my mom back when you were open. Took the tour. She wanted to climb in the b17 more than anything. She grabbed the seat belts and said i sewed theses in the war. Meant allot to her. Smiled just holding them. I owe you a thank you.
Mr Weeks, you can loose faith in humanity but still know your videos and passion for spreading the love and interest in aviation have touched this aviators heart. Keep them going Sir!
I got fed up with him pissing on the collection here by 6 mins in and calling it quits.
@@email4664 I agree. Not sure if it was intended, but it comes off as petty and could turn some people off.
I Especially Love those Old War style birds they are so beautiful
F8 Crusader, Mr. Weeks. Thanks for the tour--that was AWESOME!
Growing up and flying in SW Michigan the Air Zoo and Sue Were legends. As my career grew I flew out of MSP and POF-East we’d cross paths at various shows- always a class act. I feel the continued success of the Air Zoo can be traced to their leadership and vision. When you think about the being out in a non-tourist location K’zoo is out of the way. So drawing 200,000 folks is amazing. Can’t argue with success. Rick Herter, the aviation artist lives in FLA now...
I attended my first air show in 1984 in Kalamazoo. Saw Dale Snodgrass flying the F14 along with all the other Grumman cat planes.
Last time I was there in 2007, I won a raffle to fly in the P51 Mustang Excalibur. I love this air museum!
The kid at 9:27 doing a sneaky grab of the Sopwith Camel's tail skid. Not all is lost, folks.
Regardless of the joyrides, it looks a rather interesting place to visit. Some real one-offs.
Great video, Kermit.
I think he was grabbing something off the floor. Maybe a pamphlet?
Hey Kermit.
I tried to pull together an eductional project, except with boats. I'm based in Hyannisport, Cape Cod, Ma.
I bought a 40' UTB, U. S. Navy launch, got it USCG certified for 49 passengers, and tried to show how these launches that were virtually unchanged since before WW II / Pearl Harbor, and the history of them for their variaty of uses, tied in the history of JFK and his PT 109, and many other interesting WW II battles, etc.
I lost out to kids pirate face painting, and Johnny Depp movies that a good friend of mine tapped into.
On the up side, when the kids were playing movie pirates, the parents, and grand parents were facinated by my Navy boat, and history program, but that doesn't pay the bills.
Lots of the older folks said I was stationed on a ship with a bunch of those launches, but their kids didnt have much interest.
They had no knowledge of military small vessels.
On the upside, youll be happy to hear, every time I've gone by F. O. F. , I've been drawn in by the big beautiful sea plane floating in your giant pond / lake.
You flew that cool WW II German plane that could fly so slow, that if you flew it into the wind, it just hung in the air motionless.
I told some of your people I've been a machinist with an aviation addiction for life, and they were kind enough to let me take a quick tour behind the scenes. You have a terriffic facillity. If I lived closer, I would be looking for a dream job with you.
Take care
Capt. Keith
The back half of the first building is mostly full of WWII era planes that you missed! Probably more up your alley!
Bummed you missed the WWII area in the back of the main building, but great to see you tour the Restoration building! I practically grew up at the AirZoo, since my grandpa kept an airplane at KAZO. So many great memories, and it's what fostered my love for aviation and the change of perspective on life it brings.
I was bummed about him missing there too. I’m a 25 year old docent at the Air Zoo, and I was in the WWII room the day he was there. I missed an opportunity to meet an inspiration for me. Oh well, I’m glad he came anyway.
I was going to say their is a huge back section he missed
When I was in flight school in Traverse City MI, once a year the war birds would fly in and we'd get to go watch them and hang around the flight line... I remember talking with Sue Parish. I admired her P40 and talked to her about it for some time. She said, "go ahead and jump up in the seat". So I got to sit in Sue's P40 while being shown around. I'll never forget what a beautiful sweet lady she was. This was in 1977-78
That Mallard was sweet. I was able to fly on Chalks out of Watson Island to the Bahamas several times, and loved it. Was a true shame they went out like that.
Thanks for sharing this place.
As a designer who has organised how to display collections of "things", it surprises me how some curators flatly refuse to understand that "the kids make the rules".
I have been into too many amazing museums that have zero attendance because there's little or nothing for kids to do. I love to look and absorb machinery but my kids don't. I explain how exciting and noisy these things are - but they look at me blankly.
They spy the climbing castle outside - and we leave - immediately.
The trick is combining the experiences. Kids and adults getting the same outcome, in the same place, preferably unsupervised.......
My grade school had an annual field trip to the either the symphony, Shakespeare's King Leer, zoo or the history museum. Our teachers and parent chaperones kept the class respectful and under control, I treasure the exposure to these new experiences. Amusement parks are great fun but every life experience does not need to be made into a fun park.
From Adelaide, South Australia, I was lucky to visit 2018 and again 2019, this museum is well worth a visit. The WWII section is awesome, packed with warbirds. Corsair, Warhawk, Skyraider, Spitfire, Stearman, plus many others I can’t remember exactly. But for me it was amazing to just see them for real, and lightly touch them. Spent hours that felt like minutes there. The motor museum down the road is worth a day trip too. Gilbert motor museum. So great seeing so many preserved mechanical icons in USA. Thank you, wishing you a long life.
Saw a airshow there when Soviet Mig 29's made their first visit to the United States. Great airshow. During the show a Mig 29 took off unscheduled and left the airspace. It returned about a half hour later. About a hour later a Blue Angel F 18 did the same thing. Thinking the Russian and Blue Angel pilots did a ride swap unannounced.
G'day Kermit. Haven't heard from you in a while. Good to see you're still kicking. Good luck with whatever is next mate.
Can’t wait to see what you do Kermit.
I have visited this Place three times. Love it!!!! The murals are just BEAUTIFUL.
I remember when Sue was given a lot of hassles by the warbird contingent for her pink P-40. Turns out she was historically correct. The sand-colored paint faded to pink in the African sun. Keith Pustilak, an old fraternity brother of mine, worked at the Air Zoo for years.
One of my favorite places in Michigan. Love the Doolittle display it's a really cool place. Thanks for sharing.
You missed half of the first building, their is a walk way to the right of the B-17 painting on the wall that takes you to a huge hanger full of ww2 airplanes
thanks for what you do. Greetings from Poland. Mark.
That’s fantastic! I still remember that beautiful P-51 Mustang when I visited our Air Force Museum way back. Oh and Kermit, you didn’t yell TOMCATS! hah
If you actually ever get the kid inside of the planes then they don’t want to get out of them haha 😂 I feel the same way.
My father worked at Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) when they were starting to build the Avon powered F86 Sabre. He would sit inside the higher Avon fuselage engine bay and play cards with some mates. He told the story of watching one of the early flights where one of the test pilots brought the aircraft over from the nearby RAAF Point Cook airfield to do a demo for the factory staff (the factory’s Port Melbourne runway was too short to operate from). After a couple of passes he had a flame out and glided the Sabre back to the Point Cook airfield for a safe landing. I still have one of the dummy 30mm cannon rounds that they used to test the loading mechanism (the CAC Sabre had two 30mm cannons instead of the 20mm cannons fitted to the American Sabres). Brough back some good memories of my father. Thanks Kermit!
Do I detect a twinge of envy! The whole museum, I don't think so! That f8 crusader was flown in to the museum, I remember when they got it! Spend a lot of time in the old museum! I think I'll head up there over labor day weekend!
Yes, it's a rocket. It's an F1 ... five of them were crammed into the backend of the Saturn V which took the first humans to the moon! 😉
I was at the Cape for the launch of Apollo 8!!!! The SOUND!!! WOW!!! A dream come true for a kid growing up with the earliest manned space flights!!! Kermit, for me that is seeing a dear memory!!! That engine represents a time when America came together as one with the flight of Apollo 11. We were all so proud to be Americans.
1969 with the Vietnam War, we were divided. Yet with the words, "Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed!" All that was for a moment was forgotten.
Too darned bad today that is almost completely forgotten as politicians have again so divided us! And for what?????
Oh.. the paintings are all by Rick Herter. He lived here when I was a kid annoying him at his shop in the old Maple Hill Mall. (The same guy who did the murals at the Smithsonian)
Back in 2007 I won a raffle from the Kalamazoo Air Zoo for a ride in a P51 Mustang named Excalibur.
Talk about my #1 bucket list item of my life! I understand how sad it is though to see no one paying attention to the planes in the museum part. It makes me sad too... I wish I lived closer to Kalamazoo as I always wanted to volunteer for the restoration department.
"Ive got two of those" - I love it ;)
I would love to come visit your Museum in the future!
i know were your coming from but thoes rides pay the bills
I and my kids loved fantasy of flight, and you sir are still one of are heroes 👍👍👍
Been there. Nice museum. That Camel is a plans built aircraft. It was being built in their shop last time I was there. I was mesmerized by the guy cutting the prop, by hand, with a draw knife.
You missed the WASP display. Great honor for great women.
The restoration shop used to be just across the ramp, within walking distance from the back door. It was the best part of the museum to me.
That was indeed a 20mm in the F-104.
My dad was on the GE team that designed and built that gun. Has been put in numerous aircraft.
That is an F8 Crusader, last of the gunfighters. Place is kind of a nightmare.
Kermie, remember that not all kids are like you were. Parents have to have all the kids on board or the day will be hellish. If one parent wants to indulge one child in aviation, and the others in food and kiddy rides, then so be it. If you want to grow into something more, you can do it, but not if you have a chip on your shoulder and not if you think that your customers are stupid. It will come across to them and they will never return.
Our entire society is different. And it started changing for the worse in the 1960s with "tune in, turn on and drop out." Today people are wondering where all the workers went. Places closed or reduced hours because of a lack of personnel. Now, with the economy in shambles and little hope on the horizon, it is not the time to be imagining ways of turning the Fantasy of Flight around. Flying is a fantasy for a lot of folks. But I wish I could ride in or actually take the controls of certain planes in the collection, but I know that liability insurance, fuel, and hourly maintenance reserves put that entirely out of reach. Factor in the rising cost of everything, including electric, and heating and cooling costs, and the bottom line gets farther in the red.
@Probable Cause: Dan Gryder Can't wait Dan. You'll probably get a lot of flak, but that's when you know you're over the right target.
I think people are being far to judgemental on here, he was not criticizing or judging the rides, just commenting about the difference between their museums, chill people.
I went to college in Kalamazoo at W estern Michigan Univ. back in the mid 70's and many students went there to go to their flight training school there. Kool seeing Kermit there back in my old stomping grounds.
You missed the back half of the museum. The space area and the warbirds are in the back half through the door next to the Wright XP 55
Thanks for another great video Kermit. It was interesting and enjoyable.
Thanks for taking us along on this tour. Never heard of that museum before so was really interesting. Lots of aircraft there. Appreciate you explaining what the aircraft where and all that.
Assuming you are on your way to Wisconsin. Best show that you can go to. Just great all the aircraft at Wisconsin show.
Thanks again Kermit.
Retired Air Force veteran.
Kermit, you said it yourself, you weren't drawing the crowds down here in Fla and this place is.
Thank you for posting your perspective. I enjoyed the tour with you.
The rides seem to be a hit, but Kalamazoo doesn't have Disney & Universal Studios on one side, and Busch Gardens in the other direction, so close by. So in that area, tourists with kids may opt for one of those 3. Although really small kids and their parents may like it since the big venues are a bit overwhelming for kids that age. Kids that small aren't thinking about the human experience, instead just having fun. So that aspect would be a dead end. You may need those rides, open back up with them. And copy their setup, it works.
That XP 55 Ascender I suspect is what Rutan copied to make his EZ designs.
Those big radials are just amazing 🤩
Great!
This was wonderful. This reminds me of Zoos that have wonderful animals to watch and learn about. But you gotta have rides or nobody will come. Makes me sad...Maybe parents might consider doing a little explaining...
Awesome
Thanks for the video Kermit.
I always enjoy your videos.
I love their paintings and the spot lights.
So far I love the Red Bull hanger which you took us with you. I like the big panoramic glass roof of the hanger. I think you can't do it in Florida?
This air zoo is also an effective approach of amusement park to transfer the passion of flying into children, and also to make money.
Fantasy of Flight is for serious aviators and I love it, I love the calmness, the information I get and the true essence of flying. But I think most of the children might get bored if there are no rides or play area. You cannot make everyone happy.
Thank you Kermit for what you do.
Went to Oshkosh for the first time in '78 and somehow that Warhawk stayed in my memory. Recently visiting Air Zoo...Hey! That's Sue Parish's pink P-40! Kermit, I know you're not into space vehicles, but I never thought I'd see a Redstone rocket and it was a pleasure to see one there, even in pieces. I'm sure the Mercury capsule they have is unrelated to that Redstone but it's fun to imagine.
They have a Mercury-Redstone.
Can't wait to see what you do with your collection. And yeah I wanna see the airplanes
Thanks Kermit for the tour....Shoe🇺🇸
It's always interesting to do a bit of Recon on the Competition 👍 They had some Good Stuff , but not as GOOD as yours lol👍😀
Thank you I really enjoyed that! God speed with your endeavors . I really miss all the dairy land around chino. I called Norco home for years now back home in Nashville, Clarksville area. But do miss the shows at edwards Air Force base. Again Thank you.
I live a couple hours away and I try to visit every few years. I do enjoy it, and I don't worry about the kiddie rides. But they DO have some great stuff. It's been a few years now since I visited the Flight Discovery Center where you can see some of the restoration activity. All in all it's a good visit for the amateur or experienced airman. 🖖✌️🇺🇸
I always like your videos, old warbirds are my thing, love E.A.A. !!!
I apologize for being late with my comment...I had the privilege of investigating you... The right stuff Amazing your still flying im almost at loss for word's. . . . .I love aviation. Awesome to C what you c.
You know, it does not matter how you get the kids in. If its a ride then so be it, once in the museum the passion for planes begins and never fades. Start with an elitist attitude about what should be in a museum and you end up turning off people from ever visiting again.....hrmmm you might want to look within on that one
you're on point here ...
Yea guessing he doesn’t have kids ?
@@lancairw867 no he has and he even made a childres book
Kermit goal is to educate about aviation and the purpose it serves in the history of the world. It just hurts him to see the busiest side of the museum is the entertaining rides instead of the educational part of the museum but these rides are bringing in the crowd's so this museum is a functioning business that also is a museum and a really nice one at that.
This!
That unfortunate XP-55 wingtip hanger rash was there in 2018. Made the same comment, too.
The ride could teach the basic principals of flight, lift drag power and gravity…
Thanx Kermie
Glad to hear that you were at the air zoo, wish I would have known,I would have visited. Hopefully you got to see the F-117a nighthawk
Nice tour, quite interesting museum. The color of the Buchon seems to be off (a reddish hue to the blue the original ones don‘t have), though it might be the lighting (?). Thank you for posting, like your visit of the restoration area (though yours exhales more „real work and sweat“. 😉 👍
I can tell you I have 2 young kids I take to every museum I can. And one of the best experiences with them learning something was the hand held speakers that tell you a story at every plane on the USS midway. My son would stop look and listen every time then tell us the story. You should looking at doing at in your museum. They even had kid friendly scanners for some of the more complex war story’s.
@30:26 the last time I saw that small F4U I was 8 or 9 visiting my relatives who live right there in KAZO over 43 years ago. They still have it
I had the chance to fly in the Tin Goose Tri Motor Ford, I remember I was amazed how nice the inside was, I laughed when you told the story of flying one back from California I believe you had said in a prior video, but the 3 days it took to get back, I remember my flight and though it was slow, I am glad I was able to do it, I loved becoming part of a living history Thank You Mr. Weeks for your channel I Love it!
Location,Location,Location !!
“ Fantasy of ✈️ Flight “
Excellent Endeavor.
Too Close to Orlando.
( Kermit is intelligent enough
to realize this. )
We recently drove past
To visit the Pelican and rescued
sea bird hospital in
St. Petersburg, Florida.
Then on the way home to
Michigan visited the National
Air Force Museum and
Huffman Prairie In
Dayton. Ohio.
I love all your videos. I'm 53 but I'm still a little kid around planes. Nothing I would love more than to just crawl around inside old airplanes and think what I may have done if I hadn't failed my Army flight physical when I was 18. And I STILL can't help but look up when I hear an airplane.
When I was 5 I would be over the moon sitting in a merry-go-round where the seats were themed as planes, there was one that would be at a beach I'd go to and I loved it (according to family and photos, I don't actually remember). As I grew up I gradually started to enjoy the sights of the aircraft more and more, but I grew up being raised by someone with a huge aviation interest which passed to me.
My favourite museum in the world is IWM Duxford, I acknowledge my interest of staring at the cool WWII fighters and hearing what my grandad had to say about them is not the normal experience for 99% of museum goers.
Just being surrounded by aviation will make an impact, possibly leading to an interest and whether that becomes a week of playing with the toy plane from the gift shop or a life long love of aviation cannot be forced as every individual, even children, have innate interests. Sure the kids aren't reading the paragraphs of information in front of the aircraft, but that isn't common for kids to do anyways! Sure I was 6 and remember reading a very interesting book about the F4U Corsair, but I wasn't actually reading it I was just looking at the photographs and diagrams. If your goal is to make children learn about flight it has to be very basic, if your goal is to promote an interest in aviation then I don't doubt that having a ride in the shape of a balloon or plane and seeing the massive aircraft in the museum around you is a way to do it.
I hope you find success at Fantasy of Flight, but what you think is interesting as a kid was different to what I thought, which is different to everyone else in the world.
I guess Kermit wont be opening a water park in Orlampa. Most museums at least double up as an event venue. Given the Air Zoo's location they need all the attendance they can get. And that's fine as the real museum exhibits are still there and accessible.
Thanks for sharing 👍
Amusement Parks and snow ball stands attract families. Every summer, snow ball stands reopen all over the northeast. Florida has the blessing of a less cold climate. Combine those two along with french fries and you have a major attraction.
when we go to new places we like doing the tours, how else are you gonna learn anything about what your looking at and maybe a little behind the scene stuff too
Wonderful video Mr. Kermit......🙂
Thanks for the tour, Kermit! I spend a lot of time on the airport side flying the Trimotor when the EAA leased the airplane. It was great to see it being displayed, and to re-visit all the other great artifacts they have.
I do a lot of wondering about how kids get inspired about cool history and hands on technology stuff. I was fortunate to grow up around a lot of inspiring people but all my friends were not so fortunate. There is a youtuber that goes by Jonathan W, he used to do videos about fixing up 1920s-1950s cars but suddenly got the chance to purchase a steam engine that inspired him as a kid on the bus to school every day to learn all about mechanical stuff and aspire to work on all kinds of cool projects. He's now building a whole steam "living experience" kind of thing where everything has to run and work and show the stories and history but in a way that inspires people to learn and kind of realize how things work. Reminds me closer to the plans you've talked about more than anything else, though most of the videos are about fixing stuff and he will just randomly talk about "finding yourself" and whatnot and how he was inspired.
Robert Hudson
44 minutes ago (edited)
Kermit, you can grab a child's interest. When parents bring children for kiddie rides, a select few kids will be in Awe of the Aircraft...
...and You will have sparked that interest. Those few kids will move forward into aviation, you can do it.
My father used to point out aircraft flying overhead on short approach Brunswick GA, back in 1964, when I was 6. I learned what a Bonanza was, because V-Tail.
Who would've guessed so many years later I did Beechcraft Repair Station work in 4 states? and countless other aviation jobs... Do it for the kids Kermit.
That Rocket engine is an F-1 used on the Saturn 5 First stage to send the guys to the moon in the 60's.
Yea really. Only one of the most powerful motor ever made ! Museum was nice and sense some jealousy?
I was at the Cape for the launch of Apollo 8!!!! The SOUND!!! WOW!!! A dream come true for a kid growing up with the earliest manned space flights!!! Kermit, for me that is seeing a dear memory!!! That engine represents a time when America came together as one with the flight of Apollo 11. We were all so proud to be Americans.
1969 with the Vietnam War, we were divided. Yet with the words, "Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed!" All that was for a moment was forgotten.
Too darned bad today that is almost completely forgotten as politicians have again so divided us! And for what?????
Cool video Kermit, last time I was there was in 91 or 92 and everything was crammed into the airport location, I think most of there collection was flyable back then. I know they sold off a lot of stuff to get where there at today.
I recall the XP-55 was never something you'd like to try have airborne, but that rough dent still hurts to see.
Nice vid. Always a must view.
That B17 idea is awesome. I would do that all day long. My dad was a tail gunner in the 91st BG
Great Walk thru of Kalamazoo Air Zoo! Been there, done that. it's more fun when you fly in with your kids and immerse them into aviation.
Thanks for the tour I haven't been there for a few years and that was a classic end with the Huey flying off in the end
Do I want to see an R-4360 on display? yep. Do I think the Lockheed Constellation was the most lovely airliner ever built? Yep.
My Gramma Lois was Rosie, built Grumman's in Beth Page LI WWII. I have the Thank You poster on heavy gauge paper. Do I love Grumman's? yes
Do I love your airworthy planes and your videos? I do... I've followed you for years.
Maybe a kiddie ride is not such a bad thing for 8 year old kids Kermit.. just thinkin' out loud. I heard a grown woman say "some old man" is playing in town... It's Bruce Springsteen.
Having been to both museums, Kalamazoo Air Zoo (original and latest addition) and Fantasy of Flight, both are well done in their own way. I believe the Achilles heel of Fantasy of Flight is its location between Orlando and Tampa...or Orlampa as Kermit calls it. The fast paced life that exists in that area for Florida does not help FoF either. I do hope that FoF has a long and successful future ahead. I am sure I will make it back to both museums again. I may be wrong, but I believe he missed the back part of the building that has their WWII aircraft, or maybe that was the part that was closed.
The family was at Air Zoo in the early 1980`s. All that was there was the building at the end of video. They had a few engines the most most memorable R4300 28 cyl Wasp MAJOR. There was a P47 with a ladder so I could look in the cockpit. It was big enough to have a party inside compared to most. There were flying copies of all the Grumman cats 4 to 8. They were staged for a photo flight 4:00 PM. I saw them all take off including the B25 with the rear turret removed and replaced by a camera. Since you like old stuff, I suggest Glen Curtiss museum in Hammondsport, New York. They have original and reproductions of many of his airplanes. Repros are made in their own shops from original blueprints. It is a gigantic shop which was open to the public in 2005. Repros are made to print except for certain wood types no longer obtainable. That place not filled with a bunch of things you do not care about unlike air zoo . I will never go back there.
I am going to Chicago in 3 weeks, this museum is pretty close on my route to other places. I might visit this great museum while i am there.
Very possibly worth it to go out of your way to take the only ferry that’s also an interstate
Do it, he actually missed 2 other rooms of WWII planes off the main hall.
Kermit videos are gold :)
Act 3 might work... if not Act 4 will for sure. I love airplanes. All transportation really. Trains. Trucks. Boats. And all versions and iterations of combinations.
Man i wish i know you was in Michigan i would have came and said hello
That P-80's first flight was only about 4 years earlier than the Canberra's, Kermit. Some of those mid-late 40s jets are very cool and certainly vintage haha
The XP-55 was a Curtiss product and was built in St. Louis, Missouri. Four were built in total but 3 crashed during testing. The one at the Air Zoo is on loan from the Smithsonian. It might just get repossessed if they cannot take better care of it.
There is a really nice air museum next to an Air Force base within 15 minutes from me and it's free. Plenty of kids bused in during school hours. No carnival rides. Run with/by volunteers. Not sure how a for profit air museum can compete today with so many air museums available. I think what Kermit wants to do sounds noble but not what kids today would be attracted to. Paul Allen family was right to sell off his collection.
Did you visit your Mosquito while you were at Oshkosh?
The Vietnam plane is an F8 crusaders the last gunfighter. Next to it was was an F14 Tomcat.
Its a great place
Takes understanding of history to appreciate aircraft.
They stopped flying the TriMotor because of the risk to the entire museum if it crashed. Liability was millions per person. It just wasn't worth it.
When it comes to the kids... While many of them may have no interest in aviation right now, tomorrow they may. They might come for the ride once or twice but end up falling in love with the planes and it'll be life changing for them. Exposing them to aviation becomes harder if you can't actually convince them to be around the aircraft in the first place.
Sorry to say Kermit they get that amount of visitors partly because it is $15 to get in you were asking over $30 a person almost 10years ago. As a kid who grew up going to FoF my parents had to save to go and spend the $100 to get us in plus food and gas. Appreciate your work in saving and restoring these planes. In my opinion if you really wanted to inspire youth to get involved in aviation instead of selling Children’s books a man of your means would have a subsidized flight school or scholarships to help lower income kids actually learn to fly. Cost is the main barrier most pilots face.
Wishing my dad in AnnArbor knew you were around(!)... You & he'd have some great conversation that I'd love to attend! The Zoo is as I last saw it (that's good to see!)... I think you being in FL having an (AC'd of course) "arcade" of sit-down flight simulators would achieve your wish!