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 ones built in my country had some modifications such as
 heated cockpits, sliding canopies and wheel brakes

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 now in aviation museums or private collections
 Sometimes used in movies to represent that era of aircraft in the war films

Military Service
The plane was used beyond training sessions
 Which included maritime surveillance, defensive anti-invasion preparations, light bombers and even equipped with razor type blades to cut the cords of enemy paratroopers,
 but that was never put into action for this type of deployment

As we go out for one more fly over i was told the plane has a range of 480 kms (300 miles) a ceiling of 4100 meters (13,600 feet) and a max speed of 170kms (110 mph) 
Believe me when your in an Open Cockpit all those numbers get blurred as we dart around like the namesake......The Tiger Moth

Ace Pilot
The term originated with the French newspapers used as propaganda tool
 to create heroes and boost morale during the war
I am no fan of any armed conflict, but feel very fortunate to have experienced
 this part of our aviation history