Swift Museum

Swift Museum
Swift Museum is located in Tennessee
Swift Museum
Location within Tennessee
Established2008 (2008)
LocationAthens, Tennessee
Coordinates35°23′48″N 84°33′30″W / 35.3967°N 84.5583°W / 35.3967; -84.5583
TypeAviation museum
FounderCharlie Nelson
Websitewww.swiftmuseumfoundation.org/museum

The Swift Museum is an aviation museum located at the McMinn County Airport in Athens, Tennessee.

History

Background

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

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

Events

The museum holds an annual fly-in.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b Copeland, Ashley (11 June 2018). "Swift Museum Foundation Celebrates 50 Years". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  2. ^ "50 Years of Swift History". Swift Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Museum Gets First Swift Airplane". Knoxville News Sentinel. 2 June 2008. p. B2. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  4. ^ Moses, Greg (15 April 2008). "Swift Plans New Museum". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  5. ^ Hughes, Autumn (15 March 2013). "Swift Museum Breaks Ground on New Home". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Barnes, Sparky (7 April 2019). "Paying Homage to the Sleek Swift". General Aviation News. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  7. ^ Brusseau, Andrew (2 April 2015). "Swift Museum Lease Extended". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Swift Museum to Honor Completion of Latest Phase". Daily Post-Athenian. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  9. ^ Aube, Ester (26 September 2017). "Preservation at Work: Digitizing at the Swift Museum". AirCorps Aviation. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  10. ^ Copeland, Ashley (4 March 2019). "Swift Museum Gets Gift with New Airplane". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d e Tulis, David (22 August 2019). "Swift Museum Fly-Out Highlights Two-Place Classics". AOPA. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  12. ^ Day, Heather (12 June 2023). "2023 Swift Museum Foundation Annual Fly-In". Swift Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 December 2023.