Grumman Wildcat - Part 3 - Kermie Cam
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- You Are There! Come fly the Grumman Wildcat with me. Parts one and two are preflight, and part three we will take flight. It will be fun. - Kermit Weeks (20121120)
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My dad flew an FM-2 Wildcat off the Steamer Bay in the Pacific. He loved that plane. Always brought him home.
Naval Aviators would pilot these wildcats with the most basic of instruments over hundreds of miles of open water. Upon discovering their enemy, they would do battle and then have to return to their carrier, possibly damaged and wounded. Finally, they had to manage to land their wildcat on a pitching deck, damaged and wounded and possibly even at night. Absolutely amazing Aviators back in that era. True American heroes ! 🇺🇸
Good point..That is a testament to the training our pilots received. I've heard many WW2 pilots say that their training made then far superior to the enemy. To your point about flying above open water, I can only say they better have been paying attention in ground school when they taught navigation! Very very impressive..
Memories
Wonderful
Rilian Riggs there is a book called The First Team, which describes the USN and IJN early Carrier campaigns of WW2, it is called the First Team because these were all highly trained airmen, Americans and Japanese. However whereas the USN could continue to give replacements the training they needed for the rigors of naval air combat, the Japanese dropped behind as the war progressed. Veteran IJN aviators would still be as good as their USN counterparts, the late war survivors were arguably even better, but the majority however was poorly trained and hopelessly outclassed.
Very well said! I am always simply in awe of what our pilots had to accomplish in that era. Truly amazing and awe inspiring.
Wings of gold.
Balls of steel!
Hats off Mr Weeks. You provide us with the perspective of how brave the young men that flew and landed those airplanes on and off the carriers were.
I Salute them and you. God Bless.
And thank you Kermit for caring enough about all your classic airplanes to keep them flying! My hat is off to you, sir!!
And spending the buckets of money it takes to keep them flying!! I'm glad there's guys like him that have a passion and the resources to keep the old warbirds alive for the rest of us to enjoy!
WOW ! What a workout in the cockpit... surely not my Navion !!! LOL ! Thanks for allowing me to ride along !
I thoroughly enjoyed this 3 part series with the Wildcat!
I love this video...you're just having way too much fun. Thanks for sharing your passion. Last time I saw you was in 2002 in Fresno, CA for the Doolittle gatherings. Got a kick out of your conversation out on the flight line with the Doolittle's vets. I hope and wish to someday come visit your museum I love flying and although I only got 22 hrs in tail dragger and C-150 flights and about 3 hrs in sail planes...being hard of hearing has it limits in the aviation world. I love WW2 airplanes since the Battle of Britain came out in the late 60's. I now have over 1,000 model airplanes (only 250 are built). I love to get back into flying and I'm hoping this summer I can do this with ultralight aircraft. Thank you for keep those warbirds flying to remember those who paid with their life for our freedom.
WOW!!! In my 82 years of living, this flight is surely the most wonderful of all, especially as seen from the pilot’s view! An EXTRA SPECIAL TREAT for this ol’ duffer! As Kermit da froggie might say, “put your best puss forward” & “head for da hills”!!! YA, he’d schay dat! “Ach du lieber, mein schatz”! Loves ya mein freund Kermit!!!
Im 58 yr old trucker 37 years trucking , from a kid i dreamed of this , i was good but this was better than i dreamed , just thank you for doing this so so much . God bless my brain feels like i just flew the p-51 and this wildcat
Thank you very much Kermit for putting me in the pilot's seat!! The Wildcat has been one of my favorite planes since I was a boy!!
Thank you Mr. Weeks for these videos. It allows those of us who love airplanes to see the procedures for pre-flight and in-flight operations, as well as to let those who themselves may have flown these aircraft in the past relive their earlier experiences. I personally really appreciate your videos.
Loved the four low-pass "beat-ups"
Kermit, thank you so much for sharing these videos with us. Having watched your P-51C clips as well, I can only take my hat off to you Sir, for keeping these wonderful aircraft, and the memories of the men who fought, and gave their lives in these machines. I can only imagine what it must have been like to fly, and fight in these warbird... where pilot skill played such a vital part in the outcome of battle. Please keep them flying...
One of my favorite birds.....love the Kermit cams
Thanks for another great flight Kermit!! I used to own a 56 182(SER# 32), and loved it. I was a CHP Officer for 27 years, got hit by a truck, lead to 3 back surgeries and retirement, had to sell her. I miss flying, but live vicariously through your flight videos. Your vids helped me through some tough times, and I very much appreciate them. Thanks for sharing, and I love your passion for flight.
In high school I had a science teacher that had been a Navy flight instructor during WW II he flew the Wildcat and the Hellcat and Bearcat. His Science class was basically ground school. I have to say after all these years, (High School in the mid 70's ) He is still my favorite teacher. Mr. Zetti, I know that you are no longer with us, I thank you for setting up a flight lesson for me that gave me the dream of flying. Unfortunately, life took me a different route and all my flying has been on PC sims which I have over 10,000 hrs. I have flown in sims all the WW 1, WW 2 and Korean and Vietnam era aircraft. I know that it does not compare with the real thing. Mr. Weeks, you sir are truly blessed to have been able to amass overhaul and fly these beautiful aircraft!
At around 4:50 - imagine opening up your garage door and seeing a Wildcat fly past. Startling but memorable!
I was at the Jersey shore one September (got the house for free for a weekend) and I went walking on the beach - it was very gray, overcast and windy, and I was about to go back inside, when I was facing the water - there was a cloud bank on my left, another on my right, and a narrow clear section in front of me - and what do I see but a B-17 appear out of one bank, fly right in front of me at a few hundred feet at most, and then disappear into the other cloud bank. Never heard the engines because of the wind in my ears, but what a fantastic 'apparition' to have appear with no warning!!
After you've lived near an airport that hosts airshows reliably in the summer...and a few shows, you can identify each aircraft by its sound, you hear the sound & run outside to see ...17s, DC3s, Corsairs, Trojans....then I heard one once, I knew what it was by the sound....I hadn't seen one in flight nor up close...a peculiar notable sound...a Tri-motor...
Thats very cool, I know how you feel, I had the same surprise when I lived in north Phoenix AZ around 1995 or so while doing some yard work on a cool sunny day a big shadow went by, as i looked up it was the first B2 bomber I had ever seen, very low and slow, man it was HUGE and like you i never heard a sound. my buddy 2 doors down working in his yard also I yelled HEY did you see that? He ask '' did I see what " as i turned to point it out to him it was gone. Later found out it was lining up for a flyover for the fiesta Bowl game.
I'm speechless. Never have I wished as much that I'd gotten into the pilot's seat of a WWII ship. Thanks.
I'm just finishing building the Tamyia 1/48 F4F-4 (the folded wing version). And am finishing reading John Lundstrom's book "The First Team," a thorough account of Pacific Naval Air Combat from Peril to Midway. Those Wildcat pilots were incredible. Just imagine a carrier landing in a pitching, rolling sea, taking a potty/coffee break while your F4F Wildcat was rearmed and refueled, and then back up in 30 minutes along with 24 or so other Wildcats chasing after those Zeros! The Grumman F4F: what a tough little bird! No wonder they called Grumman "The Iron Works." Thanks Kermie. I loved it.
THOROUGHLY ENJOYED this Kermie...I am a disabled Vietnam Veteran and an Aircraft History Buff.....thanks for keepin the WW2 History alive!!! Bob in Louisiana
thank you sir, that is as close to flying a wildcat as ever get, very cool!
AAAAHHHH.....the steady Sound of a Round motor,
Very satisfying.
Thanks for sharing
How about a triangular motor in a round cowling? Like the Ta 152s, Fw 190 Ds and Ta 154?
Gives renewed respect for the men who fought in these things, won in them, and landed them on carriers. Amazing!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Round motors sound! Aerobics! Great approach and touchdown as well as the rollout - great piloting with a great personality! Thanks for making me happy....! I can only imagine this entire scenario was repeated hundreds of thousands of times in WW-II......
DIVE, BANK AND TURN, LOW LEVEL PASS ON THE DECK!!! I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!! YOU ARE BAD ASS KERMIE!!!!
Beautiful, hand cracking gear (right hand), something left hand, hand cranking cowl flaps (right hand). This crate requires you to work ... Grumman Ironworks made a really nice fighter with the F4F. Nice touch, open canopy. Smooth landing. Extra detail - watch that split flap indicator (have we paid attention). Big grin, joy to watch, thanks for sharing.
That was great. Thank you for taking us along.
I like it how he checks all his gauges and everthing seems right without a problem and then he gives a thumbs up 👍
For a young man who loves warbirds I think this is just about the coolest thing ever. I only get to fly my RC warbirds but I have learned a lot from just watching this just once. Thank you so much for these videos. It's the closest I will ever get.
To see a master pilot. No ego. Just showing every operational flight check list and nuance. Start up to shutdown including Captains Flight log Wildcat star ship. Thank you for your service to the sport. Your dedication to the preservation of these amazing flying machines. There historic value as well as your dedication to sharing it with the rest of the world. o7 Sir !! ~ your neighbor
A gratefull 40 years old kid!!! Many thanks Kermit!
Kermit...I just discovered your videos. Thank you SO much for these wonderful lessons! It feels like I am right there. I really like how you physically touch everything you are looking at and explaining. I sure wish you were my flight instructor when I got my Private long ago!
More beautiful than the aircraft is watching the aircraft being beautifully flown.
Thanks for preserving the birds, and letting us ride along.
in most of these old warbirds that still fly, u see the gun sights taken out for better visibility. but u can tell with Kermit that he want to keep it all original and thats important for history. your awsome Kermit
5-6 years after discovering these videos I still come back every so often to watch them again.
Thanks Kermit
Wow, electric prop but manual gear. Gotta love this contrast :D
Manual window! haha
Blessed man right there! Maybe one day for me!!
I was so consumed with how cool the whole flight had been going and transfixed watching the view and landing approach that at 8:50 when Kermit started rolling back down the landing wheels I thought - holy shxxt I forgot about that!
Now instead of landing on that nice long grass strip on a sunny day, imagine the deck of an escort carrier in the middle of the Atlantic. Those were brave men. Thanks to Kermit for helping us to remember them.
This is one of the neatest views I've ever had from CZcams videos
You are in the cockpit with the pilot it's pretty neat
That was real fun Kermit! I’m Kerry a Wallaby tug pilot. That was just like tug flying. I really enjoyed that!
Looks like a fun warbird to fly....lots of stuff to do. Love that gunsight. State of the art US Navy 1941.
Attention to detail and safety next to none great vid thanks
Thanks for keeping this old warhorse flying. My dad got his carrier training in a Wildcat 1942. Then moved into a Hellcat for the rest of the war. Would have talked your ear off.
Another great presentation! Thank you! I was really impressed as to just how stable the aircraft is and the great visibility from the cockpit, even while taxiing. Thanks again!
Always loved Grumman aircraft, especially the Wildcat! She took the brunt of the Zeros in the earth part of the war!
As a former air nav vet thank you for what you do. Also my dad flew a hellcats during the great war. So really looking forward to your f-6f video. Again I thank you.
You can get a sense of the stone ax simplicity, almost farm implement quality of those Grumman planes. Can't help but think, "Would I want to fly this in combat?" At first, no. And of course not against a Zero. But it was a rugged airplane and they figured out how to survive until the Hellcats and Corsairs came along. Dad was a B-17 pilot and an uncle flew Hellcats. Thanks for keeping 'em flying and the great videos.
Keep these vids coming, it's a real privilege to see these war birds being flown.
Great to see a roaring cat
As a former pilot and also A&P I have to say how enjoyable it has been to watch your videos, especially those from the preflight to the cockpit. Best overall video's I have seen to date. Thank you for taking the time to do this and share with all of us and thank you for keeping these truly magnificent "Birds Of Prey" in the air.
Oh wow! Thanks for this wonderful posting! My late father flew the FM-1 version of this plane as a 21 year old Navy pilot in 1944.
Enjoyed the flight ! Thanks for taking us along with you !!
"I'll go see what else I can fly". Now that's the life!
Thanks for taking us along Kermit. The flights are great to watch. I also like your explanations of the pre-flight procedures.
Awesome flight thanks for the lift. Right over the top of the that Connie.
Kermit, I was saying to the guys at work a few months ago after seeing the P51c vid. I said, technology has put us in the seat of the pilot, i mean even if it is a training aircraft with a seat in the back and we can go an have a fly and stuff, we cannot ever see what it is like to fly except, now, thanks to High Def camera on the forehead of the guy flying it. It's amazing. Thankyou.
This guy is my hero....he gets to fly all these old warplanes!
what a job.
Love the old Grummans. Simple, reliable and tough.
I love the old Warbirds. You do an excellent job of showing the ins and outs of the flight process. Very cool
Its a nice experience to fly and go thru all the procedures in getting this bird up. Sometimes these things are left in the dark for enthusiasts . Great you covered that gray area in all of us. The cockpit lighting for the video could have been better. But hey , great just the same. Thanks and God Bless!!
Out frickin standing! Million thanks for sharing! Very special bird!
Managing all the flight controls and fighting the enemy at the same time without getting killed. Wow 🤯
Thanks to Kermit. Fun and informative, and a living memorial to some great kids who took them up against Zeros... My uncle was a plane captain on FM2’s and TBM’s on Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70) in the Pacific. (FM2 was a follow-on model of the F4F built by GM.) He spent many all-nighters working on FM2 damage from gear collapse. Sometimes the plane would bounce on landing, then snag a wire from a couple feet in the air, and get slapped onto the deck hard enough to collapse the gear. At Leyte Gulf he strapped guys in who weren’t even sure they would have a place to land. They flushed the deck because IJN battleships and cruisers were shelling them and closing in. Those pilots took off with nothing but .50 cal to harass the enemy, but they added to their confusion and the Japanese force withdrew. At least one AP round went through the ship without fuzing. Gambier Bay was lost to gunfire. The next day St Lo was lost to a kamikaze. Y’all need to read about Leyte Gulf, especially the actions of the destroyers.
I thoroughly enjoyed that...from preflight check, to pointing out things your doing in the cockpit, over the roar of that engine and wind, but very informative.
First time I've ever heard a hydraulic lock in the engine so well articulated. AND what must be done to clear one. Well done Mr. Weeks.
What a great airplane. I really appreciate him going methodically through the procedures.
Imagine yourself flying one of these in the vast pacific... it's crazy to think ! Gorgeous video
Dear Mr. Weeks. Time and again I have enjoyed your informative and unobtrusive "rides"...whether the Fieseler Storch or the trip through the Martin Mars flying boat... I really appreciated your guided tours of the hardware and your calm demeanor. This helps the interested pilot of historical aircraft in their preps and also enfranchises the many who may never have the opportunity to do likewise. Very well done! Stay happy and healthy!
Thumbs up from Marburg (Germany)
Sooo cool you let us co-experience flight in these warbirds, thanks!
Watching from the ground is cool and all, but you sir, you bring the true entertainment.
Thank you for the video. Brought back many memories when I owned and flew a WACO UPF-7. Also thought about the Times I would watch you at the Sebring state aerobatic championship.
Glad to find FOF on You Tube! now Kermit...please fully restore the B-24!!! So I can see it anywhere but the maintenance hangar. ;-( That bomber is my favorite part of visiting your awesome facility. Keep up the great work...
This looks fun and terrifying at the same time...
One of the best airplane videos I have ever seen! And I watch a lot of them.
Thanks. Watch some of our others, you'd probably like a few more!
You have the life, Kermie.
Great flight in the old bird, thank for taking me along.
Thanks for the ride it brought back memories of when I was a kid and flew in a PT13.
Truly awesome to see these old birds flying. Although, I would have like to see subtitles when the noise was too loud.
Always surprised at how fast and manoeuvrable these planes were for the day. Must be such fun to fly
I once heard a WWII pilot say that one of the worst things to deal with in a fighter was the constant engine noise.
Grumman and Mr Kermit Weeks = Outstanding!
Thank you mister kermit for letting fly your airplane it was amazing be in the pilot seat.now i know what it feel to be there.
Love the videos! You do a great job explaining what it takes to pilot the plane. Love the wildcat! It's absolutely amazing when you think young men flew that plane and others off carriers in the South Pacific, and did battle with the Japanese imperial Navy! I know the wildcat was a tough little plane , but not in the same league as a zero . I have a newfound respect for our Naval aviators ! Thank you sir!
Kermit your landings are so well done, I barely see the touchdown, well done sir. Best WWII aviation videos online. I really appreciate you sharing!
Wow, what a beast! Input=Output, nothing more, nothing less. These old warbirds were basic air transportation and designed to get the job done with the bare minimum in 'automated' controls. When you were running up the engine before takeoff you'd think 'this thing's never going to fly!', with the way the canopy was rattling around, etc. But, they pretty much always do, if everything is working properly and you have that bucket of balls between your legs to shove the throttle forward and let 'er rip! (more below)
Great set of videos, Kermit, with all the necessary pre-flight stuff, and the great ride afterwards!!😁 It would be nice if you could tap into your radio mic for audio after you crank up the engine, or maybe figure a way to get a Bluetooth mic on your existing mic support so we can here the dialog in flight. Well done!!😉👍👍
We have that capability now, but didn't in 2012 when this was filmed. You can watch this version of that flight, with a cockpit tour and added voice over during the flight.
czcams.com/video/yD6dVFCULew/video.html
My laptop wishes to say thankyou for the ride !
Thanks Kermit, for taking me along. Had a great time.
Need some footage from the ground at the field doing a fly by.
thank you for sharing i really enjoy all your videos! your are a hell of a lucky man!
Thank you so much for sharing these videos with us ground pounders! It is a dream come true to sit in the cockpit of these great old warbirds with you! Again thank!
Great video. The world of aviation history owes you heaps Mr Wiicks
Awesome video....thank you. I wonder how many WW2 pilots got nailed while they were busy jacking with the landing gear. Would love to see one of the hellcat.
Thank you for the flight Mr. Weeks
Thanks for the flight Kermit! Loved how you pointed out everything you were doing.
Super. Never knew you had to crank the gear up by hand.
That's a great video. That's also about as close as I'll ever come to fly a F4F. Thanks Kermit.
November and you have weather like that???!!! You should come to England in November, well any month actually and get a real job.
Brilliant footage and ever so slightly envious! Bravo.
+maverickthebastard This kinda weather in November? Come to New Zilland, get any kinda job you fancy and X-Mas means Barbie on the Beach...
WOW! Thanks for a great flight. I flies great, never missed a beat. It appeared that you were clipping pretty good down the runway. Pilots who flew these in combat had iron balls man.
Fantastic! Thank you so very much for sharing this flight in the legendary Grumman Wildcat. It was sensational!