POLK COUNTY, Fla. – For 25 years, it sat as a roadside landmark along I-4 in Polk County and different positions, and a new documentary will detail the removal of a World War II-era plane.
Studio61 Productions is the company behind the mini-documentary called “End of an Icon, Removal of the I-4 DC-3.”
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“I was very fortunate enough to be the one to document the entire process. Got exclusive interviews with Kermit Weeks. He explained the whole process and how it worked,” teased Studio61 co-founder Jonathan Andress leading up to the documentary’s release.
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Andress is referring to Fantasy of Flight founder, Kermit Weeks, who in the film talks about his journey from purchasing the Douglas DC-3 Road Icon in the St. Petersburg area to its recent removal on I-4.
Weeks bought the plane for $6,000 in the mid-90s after it was stripped of its engines and props. He wanted an eye-catching road icon for his nearby business. The plane was initially positioned on its nose, with “Fantasy of Flight” displayed on its belly. But that wasn’t enough to prevent alarming I-4 drivers.
“The sheriff kept getting calls, ‘Oh this airplane crashed on I-4 and blah, blah, blah.’ ‘Where is it?’ ‘It’s kind of over by Polk City/Auburndale,” Weeks explained in one of the trailers.
After the Fantasy of Flight museum closed in 2014, the plane was mounted in a take-off position. Weeks explained in one of the trailers that corrosion and damage from Hurricane Ian led to the decision to remove it earlier this year.
A trailer also shows the challenges crews faced while removing the plane.
“End of an Icon: Removal of the I-4″ can be found on Andress’ YouTube page and Facebook.
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