Tiger Moth Biplane in Australia

 #Tiger_Moth_Biplane_Australia

It was built in 1931, was mainly used as a trainer aircraft for pilots in the Second World War and was retired in 1959 with around 8,800 built. 

It was designed by de Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada
So (ironically) here i am in Australia with a chance to be a passenger/fly on this piece of aviation history

 My first clue that i was going to be in for an interesting flight was the plane has no electrical system so it was started by hand
 Then as we roll down the runway the pilot had to stick his head over the side to navigate the takeoff because of the upright position of this biplane

 

Here we are over Surfers Paradise on the Australian Gold Coast, that is when the pilot asks if i am ready

Ready for what i am thinking; well then the aerobatics start 
Controlled Stall , Death Spiral, Barrel Rolls plus Hammerhead Maneuvers
My first thought was (as i am hanging upside down in a open cockpit vintage plane) how old / new is this safety harness 😳

After we landed the pilot ask me why i thought we did those stunts over the ocean
Well if i messed up..... it would only be you and me 😂

The reason why these planes were called Tiger Moths the designer Geoffrey de Havilland had a interest in moths plus butterflies
So as simple as that and probably also the way those winged insects moved in the open skies for his inspiration for aircraft design

Besides the 4000 that were manufactured in Britain others were built in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal and Sweden

The plane had a range of 486 km (300 miles) a ceiling of 4145 meters (13,600 feet)
 and a max speed 176km (110 mph) 

There are still approximately 300 Tiger Moths still in flying condition and as you can see i found one of them in Australia

There are a few places left in the world that you would get a chance to fly one, but mostly the Tiger Moths are in aviation museums or private collections
 So i feel very fortunate to have the experience to be a Ace Co-Pilot 😎