Tales from the 2025 Swift National Fly-In

Gorgeous blue skies, puffy white clouds, and comfortable temperatures were the backdrop for the Swift National Fly-In, held Oct. 1-5, 2025, at McMinn County Airport (KMMI) in Athens, Tennessee. There was a good turnout, with at least 24 Swifts flying in.

“We had new members fly in and we’re happy to have young pilots join our group,” said Fly-In Chairman Paul Mercandetti. “We enjoyed flying a tactical navigation flight, had formation training, a fly-out to a local airport, and even a radar speed run. On Friday night, Tsali Notch Vineyard was a beautiful setting for our hillbilly-themed catered meal. Our Saturday banquet had an Oktoberfest theme, with a quartet from Knoxville playing live music. Our Swift fundraising raffle was very successful this year, with proceeds funding Swift parts.”

As I wandered the field, Swifters were happy to share their stories.

The Coolest Airplane Ever Seen

Blake Uhl of Lawton, Iowa, has owned his highly-modified Swift for 14 years. He first saw a Swift as a preteen, when he and his father were at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

“I went over and looked at it and asked my dad, ‘what is this? This is the coolest airplane I have ever seen!’ I was in love with them from then on,” he said.

Years ago, Blake owned a Baron while building time to get to the airlines and then put it on the market to sell or trade.

“A guy emailed me and asked if I’d be interested in trading for a Swift,” he recalled. “I read that email on a Wednesday evening and called him right away. I flew the Baron from Pennsylvania to North Carolina the next day. We each liked what we saw, arranged a pre-buy inspection, and closed the deal. I had a CFI get me my time to make the insurance company happy and I flew the Swift home. All of this happened in only five days.”

Birthday Present

New Swifter Joey Waters flew his Swift over the mountains from North Carolina.

“I turned 27 in March and bought this Swift as my birthday present,” he said with a smile. “I like everything about it — the way it looks and flies, and its economy and efficiency.”

Youngest Swifter

Dan Probst, who is based at Tampa North Aero Park (X39) in Florida, is working toward his A&P.

“I was 15 when I saw a Super Swift with a 210-hp engine, slider canopy, and control sticks at a shop in Georgia and it was just a beautiful airplane,” he said. “A friend took me flying in it and I wanted one, so I chose to work toward owning a Swift.”

Dan bought his first Swift, a project airplane, when he was 17, and was 19 when he bought N5616T from an insurance company after it was damaged by Hurricane Helene.

“I took every penny I had and bought this airplane in January 2025, and worked on it until the end of March to get it ready to fly. I had it at SUN ’n FUN, and have flown it 150 hours since then. I’m 20 now, and as far as I know, I’m the youngest Swift owner in the country.”

He’s flown his Swift to Canada, the Bahamas, and Idaho, as well as many other locations.

It was his first time at a Swift National Fly-in and his first visit to the Swift Museum.

“I’m a kid in a candy store, wandering around looking at everything,” he said. “It’s an incredible place and I’m still in awe.”

Miss Bodacious

Jerry Kirby’s Swift, “Miss Bodacious,” was sporting a brilliant new paint job this year.

“Back in the 1970s, I saw this airplane for sale at SUN ’n FUN, and was interested in buying it, but Don Serdynski wound up buying it, so I bought a different Swift,” Don recounted. “Then in 1985, Don bought a Debonair and I bought this Swift from him. I’ve had it ever since.”

Strumming a sentimental chord from a timeless melody, Jerry added a new chorus to the Serdynski family’s Swift song. Jo Ann Serdynski, Don’s widow, and daughter, Tracy Serdynski Stites, made a special trip to Swift Nationals this year to reunite with N80836, which they hadn’t seen since 1985.

As Jerry said, “these airplanes have a soul,” and he kindly treated both of them to flights in his Swift.

“I was afraid I was going to cry just seeing it again, but it’s so beautiful,” Jo Ann said with a smile. “Don and I would fly here — and so many places — from our home in Avon Park, Florida. I loved being involved with the Swift group. Don would be so proud of what Jerry has done with the Swift.”

“My sister and I were little girls when we named this airplane Swifty-Poo,” Tracy reminisced. “Daddy would take us on rides and he told us we were Snoopy, and we would be fighting the Red Bandit. As I grew older, the Swift flew me to college and took me wherever I needed to go. As an adult, I found out how blessed I was to be able to fly with my father like that. I’m just thrilled to ride in Swifty-Poo again!”

Aviation strengthened their family bond. While her father was ill with Covid, Tracy was inspired to establish the non-profit WhoIAmFoundation.

“We provide free photo pockets, or storyboards, that can share the life story of patients who aren’t able to speak for themselves,” said Tracy. “After Daddy died, my sister Kelly Ann Serdynski wrote a children’s book, ‘Donald Bryan and His Amazing Swift Airplane’ about Daddy’s adventures in N80836, and our heritage as third generation citrus growers.”

A Delight To Fly

Beautiful weather and the promise of friendly fellowship lured Rocky Rutter to fly his 145-hp Swift from Oklahoma to Athens.

A longtime pilot and Swifter, he first soloed in a Cessna 150, earning his private pilot certificate in 1971. After a hiatus, he bought a Piper Tomahawk with a friend and later bought him out.

Rocky’s attraction to the Swift came about when he was a youngster.

“My dad was a Navy pilot in World War II and the Swift was his favorite airplane,” he said. “I remember when he came home from work one day, all excited about an airplane that he’d flown in. It was a GC-1A — the 85 horse — and he thought it was delightful. So when this one became available, I jumped on it. I bought it in 1994 and I just love the airplane. It’s a delight to fly — you think about it, and it does it. I have close to 2,000 hours in it now.”

N3820K is a bit unusual in that it was one of the “left overs” sitting at the Globe factory at Saginaw, Texas, when the company went bankrupt. While it still has the Globe back window, it’s listed as TEMCO in the records. Mods include control sticks, P-51 style gear doors, and a one-piece windshield.

Volunteers Appreciated

Roger and Bobbi Weber of Oregon own a polished Swift, N619JM. Roger’s devotion to the organization is evidenced by his numerous trips to Athens throughout the year as a hard-working volunteer.

“Swifts are gorgeous little machines and we’ve flown from Oregon to fly-ins in Ohio, Kentucky, and Texas,” said Bobbi, who is a staunch supporter of Roger’s flying.

Roger first saw a Swift in Puyallup, Washington, in 2009.

“I saw this cute little airplane sitting at the fuel pumps and the guy told me it was a Swift,” he said. “About five months later, I owned one!”

Visitors Welcomed

Dale Stewart’s father was a pilot and Dale has always been an avid airplane enthusiast. He had some free time on his hands during the first week of October, and decided to make the short journey from his nearby home to check out the fly-in.

“I showed up here on the first day of the fly-in this year, and even though I’m not a pilot, I’ve been overwhelmingly welcomed by everyone here,” he said. “It’s a wonderful group of folks. The Swifts were built for just a very short period of time, and to have the following that they still have today is just amazing to me. They are slick little airplanes!”

Dale also enjoyed perusing the museum exhibits.

“This is one of the nicest facilities I’ve ever seen. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the main hangar museum is gorgeous. I’d recommend anybody who’s coming to Tennessee to make a visit here. The Swift Museum is a diamond and not in the rough — it’s a polished diamond!”

For more information: SwiftMuseumFoundation.org

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