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Remember... by Denis Arbeau ==================== I really enjoy telling Swifters about why things were done the way there were on the Swift. For example: Why the horizontal surfaces have dehedral. Why the red line is 185mph. Why the factory stall strip was as long as it was. Why the Swift is placarded "Intentional Spins Prohibited". All that and more came from one very special Southern California Swift Wing fly-in back in March of 1985 at the Camarillo Airport. It was on that day that Bud Knox and Norm Nicholson visited with us. Join me in a walk down "memory lane" as we look back at the April 1985 So-Cal Swift Wing newsletter in which I wrote the following in the fly-in report: ====================
As I took-off from Whiteman airport on the morning of Sunday, March 10, it looked like it would very definitely 'rain on our parade', but just like the last two fly-ins, the weather improved and the day turned-out to be as bright as Bill Weaver's welcome as I taxied up to his hangar at Camarillo Airport. This turned-out to be our best fly-in to date and for a number of very good reasons.
17 Swifts, 2 Citabrias, a Meyers 200, a Comanche, Gordon Brown's T-6
and the American Aeronautical Foundation's Japanese Zero replica filled the
ample ramp area as once again Swifters from all over Southern California
descended on unsuspecting 152s and Tomahawks prompting comments like "Where
the hell did all these Swifts come from?" from the poor students and instructors
trying to get in some touch and go's while they were dodging Swifts.
As the 11 o'clock hour passed the ramp was a scene of Swift owners and admirers moving through the parked Swifts swapping stories and ideas. A pleasant surprise was the arrival of Bud Wilkinson (Swift N3324K), long time Swift Wing member, who was grounded for awhile but is now back with us! With so much to attract Swifters on the ramp area it still didn't take too much prompting to get everyone over to the hangar for lunch. A veritable feast was put out by Joane Weaver, Kathie Williamson and Donna Foschaar guaranteed to take 200 fpm off your rate of climb! Lunch got most everyone into the hangar long enough for us to take care of some business and draw for hangar prizes. Remember! Put your name on your ballot when you vote for the best 3 Swifts or else Bev Schuster will clain your prize! Still, as good as things were going the real treat came after lunch...
"Bud Knox (former Vice President and Chief Eng. of Globe) was once again our special guest but he also brought along a special surprise gust of his own! Norm Nicholson (former VP of Marketing for Globe) lives right nearby Camarillo Airport and came with Bud to reminisce about the way it was when, as they put it, '...the ramp at Fort Worth looked just like the ramp before us at Camarillo.' Bud said that the more he and Norm talked with us the more they remembered. This was priceless Swift history being relived by two of the men that helped make it!"
We thank them and all of you that made March special, espically Bill Weaver, Bill Foschaar, and Ron Williamson! ==================== Well that was a nice trip down memory lane for me and I hope it was the same for some of you out there who remember that day and the Swifters involved. Below is one more photo from that day I'd like to share with you...
Links to more Swift
History...
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