History Conversations - The Story Of The Flying Lady Restaurant

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The Story of the Flying Lady Restaurant
Presenter: Julie Perch Belanger: daughter of Irv and Jan Perch, owners of the Flying Lady Restaurant.
Built on a grand scale by Irv Perch and named for his wife, Jan, the Flying Lady Restaurant was a landmark in Morgan Hill from 1971 – 1994. There were actually two Flying Lady restaurants: the first was a small restaurant with seating for about 200 people opened in 1971. Not satisfied with the small quarters, Perch built the Flying Lady II, which in 1981 was one of the largest restaurants in the world with seating for nearly 2000. The Flying Lady was also one of the most unusual restaurants in the world with seven full sized antique aircraft hanging from the ceiling and more than 100 scale model aircraft “flying” over the heads of the diners on a moving track. But why would anyone build a huge restaurant out in the rural foothills of Santa Clara County? What made the Flying Lady a success and what happened to it?

Julie will share haring treasured family photographs and movies. You will learn the fascinating story of the Flying Lady, how Julie met her husband, Pat Belanger, there and how they were married at the restaurant (in an airplane, of course). You will enjoy this rare peek into a landmark that, sadly, no longer exists, but one that has left a legacy that will live on in the family’s memories and in anyone who remembers the great Flying Lady.

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