Produced from 1946 to 1951, the Globe Swift is a sporty, general aviation design whose beauty and superior flying characteristics have made it a favorite classic aircraft type. Numerous examples are still flying in the USA, however, only a handful of places presently offer a professional checkout course of the type, and no flight schools offer such a service. Thom Richard’s Warbird Adventures is set to change that…

As many readers will know, after 24 years of flight operations at Kissimmee Gateway Airport in Kissimmee, Florida, Thom Richard moved his business to a new location in Ninety Six, South Carolina during late 2021. He chose this little town because of its geographical location, excellent year-round weather, and relatively uncontested airspace. There Richard set the base for what is now known as the American Dream Skyranch.

As part of the company’s strategic development and to cover a full range of training options for its students, Richard added a beautiful 1948 210hp Globe Super Swift to his fleet of aircraft, with the goal of offering a complete checkout course along with a full instrument rating course (coming soon) in the type.

“We are a vintage aircraft flight school and the SWIFT fits perfectly in our fleet,” said Richard ” It’s all-metal with sleek lines and retractable landing gear, it handles like a fighter and is surprisingly economical to fly. It’s really a good airplane to provide instrument training in a vintage aircraft.”

Over the summer Warbird Adventures will install  A GARMIN 625 GPS/MFD providing visualization of the entire flight plan, including departures, arrivals, visual/GPS approaches, and holding procedures. The aircraft will also be equipped with a G5 Electronic Flight Instrument which replaces traditional electromechanical instruments; it can be configured in attitude, DG/HI/HSI, and turn coordinator positions.

Warbird Adventures has provided warbird flights for over 20 years. They offer their guests a chance to achieve something many have always dreamed of doing… flying a WWII-era aircraft! Their hands-on training packages range from introductory flights and thrilling aerobatic maneuvers to full check-out courses.