The Swift Museum is an aviation museum located at the McMinn County Airport in Athens, Tennessee.
  Location within Tennessee | |
| Established | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Location | Athens, Tennessee |
| Coordinates | 35°23′48″N 84°33′30″W / 35.3967°N 84.5583°W |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Founder | Charlie Nelson |
| Website | www |
History edit
Background edit
The Swift Museum Foundation was established by Charlie Nelson in 1968.[1] In the early 1980s it purchased the Globe Swift type certificate and production tooling from Univair.[2]
It acquired the first production Swift in 2007.[3]
Museum construction edit
The foundation announced plans for a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) hangar in April 2008. This would allow the museum to consolidate aircraft it had stored in multiple buildings around the airport.[4] After five years, it broke ground on the first phase, a 3,200 sq ft (300 m2) office and parts storage building, in March 2013 and completed it later that year.[5][6]
After signing a new lease with the airport that expanded the size of its parcel in 2015, it opened the second phase, a 6,400 sq ft (590 m2) hangar, the following year.[7][6]
The third phase, a 3,200 sq ft (300 m2) expansion for additional parts, was finished in time for the 50th anniversary of the foundation in October 2018.[8][1][6] In the meantime, the museum had worked with AirCorps Library to have its collection of drawings and manuals digitized.[9]
The sole LoPresti Fury was donated to the museum in 2019.[10]
Collection edit
- Globe GC-1A Swift[11]
- Globe GC-1B Swift[11]
- Johnson Rocket 125[11]
- Temco T-35 Buckaroo[11]
- Temco T-35 Buckaroo[11]
Events edit
The museum holds an annual fly-in.[12]
References edit
- ^ a b Copeland, Ashley (11 June 2018). "Swift Museum Foundation Celebrates 50 Years". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "50 Years of Swift History". Swift Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "Museum Gets First Swift Airplane". Knoxville News Sentinel. 2 June 2008. p. B2. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ Moses, Greg (15 April 2008). "Swift Plans New Museum". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ Hughes, Autumn (15 March 2013). "Swift Museum Breaks Ground on New Home". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ a b c Barnes, Sparky (7 April 2019). "Paying Homage to the Sleek Swift". General Aviation News. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ Brusseau, Andrew (2 April 2015). "Swift Museum Lease Extended". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "Swift Museum to Honor Completion of Latest Phase". Daily Post-Athenian. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ Aube, Ester (26 September 2017). "Preservation at Work: Digitizing at the Swift Museum". AirCorps Aviation. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ Copeland, Ashley (4 March 2019). "Swift Museum Gets Gift with New Airplane". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Tulis, David (22 August 2019). "Swift Museum Fly-Out Highlights Two-Place Classics". AOPA. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ Day, Heather (12 June 2023). "2023 Swift Museum Foundation Annual Fly-In". Swift Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 December 2023.