There was quite a gaggle of airplanes at the 2026 Swift Nationals Fly-In, held at Granbury Regional Airport (KGDJ) in Texas in mid-May.
At least 32 Swifts flew in, representing at least 14 states. Special visitors included John and Dan Kennedy, the grandsons of John Kennedy, founder and president of Globe Aircraft Corporation.
Swifts were flying every day, and owners were happy to talk about their birds.
N90373
Reese Wolff is based at Brown Field (KSDM) in San Diego. He bought his 210-hp Swift six years ago from George Snyder. Turning back the hands of time, Bill Jennings owned 90373 for around 40 years.
Prior to Swift Nationals, Reese began scheming to achieve a personal goal.
“I’m an airline guy, so I’ve been to a lot of states just with work airplanes. But I was still missing two — West Virginia and Delaware. So I decided what better way to check those off than on the way to Swift Nationals?”
“My wife, Samantha, explained that Delaware is not really on the way to Texas from San Diego,” laughed Reese, “but that’s what I did! I also stopped by the Swift Museum Foundation at Athens, Tennessee. When I ended up at Granbury, I had flown 4,023 miles since I left San Diego, burned 239 gallons of fuel, and logged 25.8 hours.”
“We’ve had some adventures in the Swift,” added Samantha. “It’s a beautiful airplane and definitely feels like it’s part of our family!”
N3240K
Andy Jester flew his 145-hp Swift 5-½ hours from Tell City, Indiana. N3240K cruises around 140 mph, and is like an old friend to him. His brother owned it from the late 1980s until Andy became its caretaker in 2017.
An airline pilot, Andy enjoys flying different airplanes, and acquired tailwheel time in an Aeronca Champ and Piper Cub prior to flying the Swift.
“I flew it the whole time my brother owned it,” he said, adding with a smile, “it was a little easier then because he paid for everything, so I just had to put gas in it.”
N78209
Ray Walker flew in from Sanger, Texas. A talented artist who draws aviation-themed Christmas cards, Ray owns two Swifts. He shared a bit about N78209, a GC-1B built by Temco (a subcontractor for Globe in 1946).
“This was a Swift raffle plane about 20 years ago,” he began. “The guy that won it lived in Colorado. He flew it there for a long time and it’s only 125 horse. He sold it and it came to the Dallas area. I knew the owners, so I went to look at the interior upholstery and other items to make my other Swift (N2453B) as original as possible. I ended up buying 78209 about two months ago.”
“My other Swift was owned by Eugene May of Jackson, Tennessee,” he continued. “He owned it for decades and it was the 15th from the last one built. I bought it about five years ago from his estate. It’s a very stock, D-window Temco Swift. My dad and uncle both had Swifts before I was born. I’ve always admired the Swift, and I bought the one out of Tennessee with emotion instead of brains. It had been sitting for a long time and it needed attention. I hope I’ll have it flying again by late summer.”
N2362B
Jimmy Gist flew in from Llano, Texas. He bought his Swift four years ago from Jerry Lee, east of Nashville. Powered by a 200-hp Lycoming, its other mods include sticks, a canopy, and a 52-gallon fuel capacity.
A longtime Swift admirer, Jimmy found it difficult to say what he likes best about the airplane.
“There are so many great qualities,” he said. “It’s a gorgeous airplane and flies wonderfully. It’s not a maintenance hog. It’s economical and just a fun-flying airplane. We fly it to the Pacific Northwest a couple times a year and love flying it up there.”
Ironically, N2362B just happened to be parked beside N2379B for the first time in nearly 40 years. Back in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, those two Swifts were owned by good friends who always parked them side-by-side at the Antique Fly-In at Ottumwa, Iowa. Both had original paint and polish at the time.
N2379B
The provenance of each Swift seems to be treasured as much as the ship itself.
Dan Peters bought his Swift about two years ago from Mark Holliday. Remarkably, N2379B still has its original paint and former owner Ed Ermatinger’s fiberglass hat still rides on the hat shelf.
“I’ve loved the looks of Swifts since I was a kid hanging out at the local FBO, looking at ads in Trade-a-Plane. For me, the Swift was like that girl you never asked to dance. Decades went by and I was out at Reno, where a Swift was on display. I thought, ‘I should have asked that girl to dance!’ So I started looking and lucked into this one,” shared Dan.
“Since I’m based at 5,050-foot elevation at Longmont, Colorado, I have the new pumped up 175-hp Continental O-300 from Airworx,” he noted. “It didn’t require any modifications to the cowling or motor mount.”
The Swift Fits!
Ethan Lowe of Ponca City, Oklahoma, started bull riding when he was just 8 years old and rode for five years. Now 18, he enjoys the thrill of flying an airplane — and a Swift in particular.
A newly-minted private pilot, he was a standout at the fly-in – not only for his 6-foot, 7-inch height, but also for his aviation ambitions.
“I met Jim Roberts at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 and he invited me to this fly-in,” he said. “The people in the Swift group are very welcoming and there’s a real sense of community among them. I fit great inside the airplane and, after having flown in a Swift, I think it’s an incredible airplane. I can see why they love it.”
“I picked up aviation when I was about 15 years old,” he continued. “Nobody else in my family flies. I’ve had to seek out all the opportunities for myself. I’m sure blessed to be in the position that I’m in now. I’m going to start on my instrument training next year while I’m doing my Air Force ROTC at Oklahoma State University. Hopefully I’ll get all my other ratings while I’m in college and, God willing, I’ll get a pilot slot and be an Air Force pilot.”
N90CM
Jim King bases his Swift at Baker City Municipal Airport (KBKE) in Oregon. A newcomer to aviation, he’s been flying for five years.
“I fly a turbo Cessna 182 for the Oregon State Police. I got my tailwheel endorsement in a Cessna 170 in November 2024, and then I started shopping,” he said. “I found out about the Swift Museum Foundation and I kept learning about the Swift. It had everything I was looking for: Speed, the cool factor, tailwheel, sticks, and canopy.”
“This one was in Washington and I bought it in July 2025,” he continued. “Former owner Charlie Hopkins put a lot of the speed mods on it. He also put the 200-hp Lycoming LIO-360 in it. This is the only Swift that has the left-turning engine, which is off a Piper Seneca. So instead of using right rudder on takeoff, you use left rudder.
“This was a lifetime opportunity for me to come to the Swift Nationals and see other Swifts, because mine was the only one I’d ever seen,” he added.
N2397B
Keith Cochran hails from Long Beach, California. He first saw a Swift in the mid-1970s, when he was a teenager working at Barstow-Daggett Airport (KDAG) in San Bernardino County, California. The owner told him the Swift was the greatest little airplane and he should buy one. Keith finally did, about five years ago.
“I bought this from Frank Johnson out of Siler City, North Carolina. His son had listed the Swift on eBay. The ad said the engine had a prop strike, was out of annual, and there were no logbooks. I sent him a deposit and flew out there to look it over.”
“Frank and I went out to his farmhouse, and he offered me a cigar and some Scotch. I told him, ‘I really don’t want to buy this airplane unless you really want to sell it; I know it’s a piece of your heart.’ Well, I bought it, and then Frank said, ‘before you leave, you have to get the paperwork for the airplane. It’s in two mail crates.’ That was a surprise, because the ad said no logbooks.
“Frank had all the information from the beginning of the airplane’s life to the present day. I came across a three-page letter in those records and I get choked up every time I think about it. That letter was from the first person who owned the Swift, and all the owners since. I love this airplane!”
More Photos From The Fly-In
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