Kermit Weeks Biography
For Fantasy of Flight founder Kermit Weeks, the opening of his aviation-themed attraction has been a natural extension of a lifelong, unbounded passion for aviation and aircraft. Weeks has been involved in aviation since his childhood and his enthusiasm for furthering public interest in aviation has never stopped growing. A skilled aerobatics competitor and aircraft designer, Weeks has earned acclaim both for his accomplishments in the air-as an aviator, and on the ground for his technical ability to build aircraft and his promotion of aviation and vintage aircraft restoration.
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kermit Weeks grew up in Miami, FL. His childhood interest in mechanical design and construction evidenced itself early. While still a teenager, Kermit had already taken to the skies and learned to fly.At age 17, while still in high school, he began construction of his first home-built aircraft-an airplane he completed and flew four years later. In 1973, at age 20, Weeks had began taking to the air in aerobatic flying competitions while pursuing an aeronautical engineering degree at Miami-Dade Junior College, the University of Florida and Purdue University. By 1977, Kermit had built the "Weeks Special," an aerobatic aircraft of his own design and qualified for the United States Aerobatics Team. In 1978, he was runner-up among 61 competitors worldwide, earning three Silver medals and one Bronze medal in the World Aerobatics Championships staged in Czechoslovakia. Over the span of a dozen years, he placed in the top three in the world five times and won a total of 20 medals in World Aerobatics Championship competition. He has twice won the United States National Aerobatics Championship and has won several Invitational Masters Championships in different worldwide competitions.
During the late 1970's, Kermit's aviation interests expanded to include the acquisition, restoration and preservation of antique aircraft. In 1985, he began operating the Weeks Air Museum in Miami, a non-profit facility that housed much of his private collection and other antique aircraft owned by the museum. As his personal collection expanded, Weeks planned for development of a larger, more comprehensive facility in which to showcase and share his aircraft collection. In the mid-80's he began acquiring a 300-acre site near Polk City, FL., 20 miles southwest of Walt Disney World, for an aviation-themed attraction called Fantasy of Flight. In 1992, as development plans finalized for Fantasy of Flight, Hurricane Andrew struck the Miami area, virtually destroying the Weeks Air Museum facility (it was repaired and reopened in 1994) and seriously damaging most of the vintage aircraft within it. Some of Weeks' collection, which was damaged by the hurricane, is displayed at Fantasy of Flight. Fantasy of Flight allows the public to see part of the world's largest privately held vintage aircraft collection and show, via fascinating themed exhibits and displays, moments from aviation's storied past. For Kermit Weeks, the attraction's 1995 opening began another colorful chapter in a career devoted to furthering aviation.
On May 26, 2000, Kermit Weeks wed Teresa Blazina during a private ceremony in Sedona, AZ. Now residing in Polk City, FL., Weeks' other interests include playing the guitar, banjo, fiddle and piano. He also enjoys snow skiing and water skiing.
Press Photos
2012 Photos
2011 Photos
Pribyl-Stangarone Photos
Koenig-Walsh Photos
2011 Lindbergh Awardee Photos
2010 Photos
2010 Lindbergh Grant Recipient Photos
Tucker-Weeks Photos
Jack Pelton Photo
2009 Photos
Larry Williams Photo
Lindbergh Grant Recipient Photos
Spirit Ride Winner Photos
Kate Dougherty Photo
Africa Photos
On-Line Auction Photos
Lindbergh Awardees Photos
2008 Photos
Lindbergh Grant Recipient Photos
Spectrum of Aviation Hangar Party Photos
2008 EAA Photos
-- Orvis Aviation-Theme Clothing
-- Ganesh Raman
-- Lindbergh-Wagstaff/KWS Photos
Lindbergh Award Celebration Photos
On-line Auction Photos
Lindbergh Awardees Photos
2007 Photos
NBAA Convention Photos
Foundation Background
The Lindbergh Foundation is a public non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, based in Minnesota, which supports great innovations that foster the environment to keep the planet in balance.
The Lindbergh Foundation accomplishes its mission through three major programs:
The Lindbergh Award ~ Annually, the Foundation presents its honorary Lindbergh Award for individuals who have made significant contributions toward the balance between technology and the environment, in their work.
Lindbergh Grants ~ in amounts up to $10,580 (the cost of building the Spirit of St. Louis in 1927), are given to individuals whose proposed research or education projects will make important contributions to the technology/environment balance;
Educational Programs and Publications ~ centered on the balance theme.
One of the Lindbergh Foundation’s core values is to honor individual initiative and accomplishment in researchers, scientists, and explorers. In doing so, the Lindberghs, who were each outstanding individual contributors to society – through aviation, writing, and environmental conservation, are also honored. Unquestionably, Charles Lindbergh is best known for his historic New York-to-Paris flight in the Spirit of St. Louis. It is much less known that the Lindberghs held a unique perspective on the Earth stemming from Charles’ boyhood growing up on the banks of the Mississippi River outside Little Falls, Minn., his barnstorming days in the early 1920s, and the survey flights around the world he and Anne pioneered in the 1930s. Over the years, the Lindberghs witnessed enormous changes in the land, sky and water in the name of progress. Their concern for the environment became the basis upon which the Foundation was established.
Friends of the Lindberghs at The Explorers Club in New York City established the organization in 1977 (the 50th anniversary year of Charles Lindbergh’s historic New York-to-Paris flight). General James H. Doolittle and Astronaut Neil Armstrong led the national fund raising campaign for the fledgling organization.
Fact Sheets
Mission (pdf)
Grants Program Fact Sheet (pdf)
Award Program Fact Sheet (pdf)
Biographies
Below you will find links to biographies about key Foundation board members and Lindbergh family members.
Lindbergh Family Bios
Charles A. Lindbergh
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Reeve Lindbergh
Press Photos
2012 Photos
2011 Photos
Pribyl-Stangarone Photos
Koenig-Walsh Photos
2011 Lindbergh Awardee Photos
2010 Photos
2010 Lindbergh Grant Recipient Photos
Tucker-Weeks Photos
Jack Pelton Photo
2009 Photos
Larry Williams Photo
Lindbergh Grant Recipient Photos
Spirit Ride Winner Photos
Kate Dougherty Photo
Africa Photos
On-Line Auction Photos
Lindbergh Awardees Photos
2008 Photos
Lindbergh Grant Recipient Photos
Spectrum of Aviation Hangar Party Photos
2008 EAA Photos
-- Orvis Aviation-Theme Clothing
-- Ganesh Raman
-- Lindbergh-Wagstaff/KWS Photos
Lindbergh Award Celebration Photos
On-line Auction Photos
Lindbergh Awardees Photos
2007 Photos
NBAA Convention Photos