Love at first flight

The Swift’s 76th anniversary was heralded with a patriotic “Spirit of 76” celebration during the 2022 Swift National Fly-In at the Swift Museum Foundation (SMF) in Athens, Tennessee.

Though the initial forecast for late September was less than favorable with the outer bands of Hurricane Ian remaining in the southeast, 18 Swifts flew in to McMinn County Airport (KMMI). Many other Swifters arrived by vehicle, with Roger Weber of Oregon making the longest journey by highway.

The fly-in included a banquet, guest speaker, live band, and raffle prizes, as well as a variety of forums, including one about Swift-specific technical information made available online by a collaborative effort between the SMF and the AirCorps Library of Bemidji, Minnesota.

“We’re preserving information and getting it to the people who are actually using it for its intended purpose — to maintain and operate airplanes and fabricate new parts,” explains AirCorps data/library specialist Ester Aube, who adds that SMF members can access these records “for a small annual fee.”

Walking around the field during the fly-in, it was easy to collect a slew of Swift stories.

Dana and David Clark

Dana, who started learning to fly in 2005, was immediately drawn to the polished, vintage Swifts she saw at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh that year.

“But the fellow I was dating at the time said they’re dangerous, so I kind of forgot about them,” she recalls.

She continued with her flight training, primarily in tailwheel airplanes, and finally earned her private pilot ticket in 2013.

“I went out to the airport one day to rent a Citabria to go flying and there was this shiny, beautiful Swift,” she recounts. “I was like, ‘ooh, a Swift! I forgot about those.’ I looked up the N number and knew the owner, so I called him and he started talking about the Swift Museum Foundation and how supportive and great it is.”

In early 2017, Dana bought a 1948 Temco GC-1B Swift (N2336B) in California. After transition training, she flew it home to Texas.

She and her husband David started doing Swift formation training, but since they had to alternate training flights with formation instructors in her Swift, Dana told David he needed to buy his own Swift, which he did.

David and Dana are based at Arlington, Texas, and this was the first year they were able to fly their respective Swifts to the fly-in. David has owned his 1946 Globe GC-1B Swift (N3890K) since 2019.

“My Swift was restored by the same group of fellows at Gillespie Field (KSEE) that restored Dana’s Swift, and they had done a good job. So when this one came up for sale, we just jumped on it. It’s turned out pretty good,” says David. “It’s fun for us to fly together, and I think we’re the only husband-wife pilots who each own their own Swift.”

Danny Pitts

Danny is a newbie in the Swift family, having only owned N80741, a 1946 Globe GC-1B, for a little over a year. He flew for FedEx for more than 32 years, and loved flying so much that he just couldn’t stop after he retired.

Beaming with pleasure when talking about the Swift, he said, “I used to fly with a guy who was a World War II P-38 pilot, and he told me he’d owned a Swift at one time and regretted selling it. That was before the internet, so I couldn’t just go look it up. Then finally I saw one and thought no wonder he liked it so much! So I’ve kind of had my eye on Swifts for the past 30 years. Our airport manager at Western Carolina Regional Airport (KRHP) at Andrews, North Carolina, has a Swift, so the fever kind of increased a little bit.”

Danny enjoys sharing his fun-flying Swift with his family.

“The Swift gives me the joy of flying, as well as providing a challenge — first, of getting checked out in it, and now, getting involved in Swift formation flying. This is such a great organization and the support, expertise, knowledge, and parts they have available for an old airplane like this is just fantastic. So I’m extremely happy!”

Dave and Debbie Carpenter

Remarkably, Dave “Flea” has flown his Swift (N78137) to 40 consecutive Swift National Fly-Ins, and his wife, Debbie, has accompanied him whenever the fly-in dates didn’t conflict with her teaching schedule.

“I think the Swift group is more of an airplane family. I feel like we could be anywhere and if there was another Swift person there, that we could call them and they would help us in any way they could,” Debbie says. “That’s a really neat feeling to have.”

Flea treasures the people and personal opportunities that flying has given him.

“I enjoy meeting people who are willing to do something a little bit different — like flying a 76-year-old airplane across the country. It takes a special group of people to do that, and we’ve got a lot of these airplanes that have made it to California and back more than once. Most Swifters work on their own airplanes or at least are technically competent to understand their own airplanes.”

Debbie also cherishes traveling in the Swift, and it’s given her a great appreciation for being able to see the earth from a small plane.

“Seeing things from a different perspective is amazing,” she says. “For instance, we drove Route 66 in a car and then we flew over it in the Swift, and I think having that perspective from the air is super special.”

Wayne Rholetter

About 40 years ago, Wayne soloed a Cessna 150 and didn’t even have his private certificate when he bought his first Swift.

“When I was getting my license, my instructor told me the worst thing you can do is buy a Swift now. I asked why, and he said, ‘you won’t find another plane that flies as well as a Swift does. It’ll spoil you. Then if you sell it, you’ll be looking for something the rest of your life that flies that well, and you won’t find it.’”

He notes that he “basically” taught himself how to fly the Swift.

“I’ve had two 210-hp Swifts and my first one was a 145 horse,” he says. “The Swift is probably the best-flying airplane made — it’s so balanced.”

During the 2022 fly-in, Wayne and his son, Eric, flew N89K up for a day from Oconee County Regional Airport (KCEU) in Clemson, South Carolina. Swifters gathered all around to see his highly-modified Swift.

“I think this has the first canopy made by Jack Nagle, and then Roy LoPresti bought the airplane and put on a 420-hp Allison turbine. It has retractable, fully-enclosed gear, and the wings have the slots closed in, and now it has a 210-hp Continental,” Wayne recounts. “I bought it from Rex King in Houston about 20 years ago. I flew it nonstop to Clemson and averaged about 190 mph.”

Jim Roberts

For Jim Roberts, the Globe Swift first came onto his radar more than 25 years ago when he and his wife, Carolyn, were at an airport open house. 

Passing by a hangar that housed a beautifully restored Swift, Carolyn stopped in her tracks, then said, “That’s the most beautiful plane I’ve ever seen. We should look for one of those.”  

“I’d been on the hunt for our next bird for a while, and was looking for a biplane, but I’m no dummy,” Jim recalls. “When your wife falls in love with a certain model, you go shopping!”

“I began attending Swift fly-ins to learn about these rare birds, and was lucky to have some very knowledgeable Swift owners nearby,” he continues. “After a year or two of searching, I found N78012, a 1946 GC-1B, modified with a 210-hp Continental IO-360, and the rest is history.”

Jim worked on his new airplane’s restoration with Don Bartholomew, a Swift “guru,” while Carolyn christened her “Silver Belle,” reminiscent of “Memphis Belle,” and in honor of her 1940s heritage. 

“The three things I like most about the Swift are her lineage, dating to World War II, her sex appeal, and her fighter-like handling characteristics,” says the former Air Force flyer. “The GC-1A was on the drawing board before World War II, and began rolling off the line shortly after civilian aircraft production resumed in peacetime. The plane’s lines are reminiscent of the P-40 Warhawk, and that’s no coincidence, since one of her designers worked on the P-40 program.” 

The Swift’s looks speak for themselves, Jim adds.

“I find them show-stopping, and apparently so do others,” he says. “Silver Belle won ‘Outstanding Swift’ at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012, and has won numerous awards at SUN ’n FUN and other venues. The polished aluminum takes some dedication and elbow grease, but it’s worth it.”

“As for handling characteristics, I really appreciate how nimble the Swift is,” Jim says. “Not quite as quick on the controls as the T-38 I once flew, but pretty good for a plane that can carry two people and a couple of overnight bags or a load of camping gear for your next fly-in.  She’s a delight to fly in formation, and when I give the controls to someone for the first time, I always caution them to ‘fly with your fingertips. Just think where you want to go and she’ll follow.’”

Sue Luth

Chances are, anyone who calls the SMF office will be talking with the cheerfully-efficient Sue Luth, who has been working with the foundation almost four years now. Sue is one of two full-time employees (the other is Scott Anderson, Executive Director) and fills many supportive roles for SMF.

Sue describes herself as “a jack of all trades and master of none!”

“I handle fly-in registration, purchases for meal tickets, Swift parts, and the silent auction,” she says. “It’s nice finally meeting people in person when you’ve talked to them on the phone a few times through the years. I love the Swift group — they’re great!”

Chuck Miller

Chuck Miller has admired Swifts for a long time, and recently purchased N2410B, a 1949 Globe GC-1B. He and his wife, Anna, made the cross-country trek from their home in Hillsboro, Texas, to Athens, Tennessee for the fly-in.

Chuck has a military aviation background, joining the Air Force in 1969 and soloing in a T-37. Just about all of Chuck’s light airplane time has been in tailwheel airplanes — he owned a Cessna 180, a Citabria, an RV-6, and still owns a Cessna 170. His Swift has plenty of ponies up front — it’s powered by a 200-hp Lycoming IO-360.

“Owning a Swift before I have to hang up my headset got on the top of my bucket list and I love this airplane,” Chuck says with a smile. “I’ll own it until I can’t fly anymore. It’s nimble and quick and just a wonderful flying airplane!”

It’s that depth of feeling that keeps Swifters devoted to their aerial breed — after all, it’s been said many times that flying the Swift is “love at first flight!”

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