Flying the Tiger Moth

[UniFoxOs]

One of the best Christmas presents I have received in a long time is a voucher for a flight in a Tiger Moth. According to the voucher this can be taken at Barton, Gloucester, Dunkeswell, Henlow, Manston, Oxford, Peterborough, Redhill or Wickenby. It says that flying is seasonal at some of these - I would want to go in the warmer weather, perhaps May.

My initial preference would be for either Gloucester (nearest) or Barton (where I learned to fly and am reasonably familiar with the airfield and surroundings), however I naturally want to maximise the value I get from the experience, especially in terms of "hands-on" time, so I am soliciting the opinion of the pprune experts for any advice on where to go for this, do ppruners think that the operator in any location might offer a better experience?

I would also appreeciate advice on clothing - I have only ever flown Cessnas before so open cockpit is unknown territory. What sort of height would be reached on one of these flights, how cold would it be and what should I wear?

Finally is there any basic info on this a/c that I could "gen up" on beforehand - stall speed, rate of climb etc.?

Cheers
UFO

[rotorboater]

I had one of these flights once, they give you the sheepskin jacket that the previous punters have been sweating in and a horrible helmet & visor (still wet from previous sweating punter) You then get into this thing that is made of string and cotton and fly at speeds that make helicopters seem fast, they let you play with the stick but pedals and throttle were removed in the one I had, not the best days flying I have ever had apart from arriving and departing the field in my helicopter!

[Lister Noble]

The Tiger Moth I have been in quite a bit had full controls for both.
Depends when you go,you will not need a leather coat if the wx is warm,just some warm layers and a fleece or anaorak type thing.
Quite draughty around the face area,the wind curls around the small screen so you will need a neck scarf.
You will have to use their headset,the one I have used has a throat mike so if you get one of these will not be breathing other peoples germs!:}
The Moth is slow and does need quite a bit of rudder in turns,but you will enjoy it,we fly around 500-1000feet so you get to enjoy the view.
I'm sure you will get better replies from more experienced bods,about the aircraft and where to get the best deal.
Lister:)

[tacpot]

I've been in just your situation; I was bought one of the vouchers for Christmas, and went from Barton, just after I'd got my PPL.

I would go for a location where you are comfortable with the arrangements, so that you are able to concentrate on the differences between Cessna and Tiger Moths!

My recollection was that, in the air, there was not much difference. You will need to wrap up warm, especially if flying in winter.

The P1 was not happy to have me handle the aircraft on the ground, or do the takeoff, due to the tailskid.

I hope you enjoy the experience.

tp

[Fuji Abound]

You will enjoy the experience.

However I have to say I don’t understand the fascination with the Moth. Personally I think it is unpleasant to fly with poorly co-ordinated and heavy controls bereft of any real performance and freezing cold at any other time of year than August.

Still I suppose it is the whole sentimental thing which is rather fun. :}

[Pilot DAR]

Use great care getting in and out to only step and stand where you are supposed to!

If it's an open cockpit version, you'll feel much more secure if the shoulder harness is tight.

The Tiger Moth is somewhat challenging on the ground - I would not say difficult, if you have some taildrgger experience, but if it has a skid instead of a tailwheel, steering on the ground is different. The Tiger Moth I used to fly was so equipped. It's braking was somewhat differential, but not the system we're use to now, and not quite as direct to use.

Once airborne, it is a delight, though more like a helicopter than an airplane in some ways. It climbs well, and is not very stable hands off. No problem to fly, just pay attention to what you are doing, or it will go off on it's own! If you pull power off without purposefully lowering the nose, it will slow down quite quickly, and with not much n the way of a warning, a stall is a possiblity. Recovery is easy though.

Takeoff and landing are quite easy, and they are an excellent STOL aircraft. Runway visibility is somewhat less than what you are used to, but with lots of room it's not a problem. Much of my Tiger Moth flying was on skis on a frozen lake, so space was not a problem. Don't let the skis freeze down though!

Have fun, it's easy to do in a Moth!

Pilot DAR

[astir 8]

If it's Gloucester then the Tiger Moth may turn out to be a Stampe

But who's complaining!

[rusty sparrow]

I flew one at Sywell in July 07 - told the guy I was a lapsed PPL and he let me take the controls for a bit - worth every penny of my wife's money in that birthday present.:ok:

I revalidated my licence the next month

Sywell is a great grass strip with a lot going on.

[India Four Two]

If you pull power off without purposefully lowering the nose, it will slow down quite quickly

I think VERY quickly is the correct word - I was very impressed how quickly the speed reduced - a graphic demonstration of Profile Drag at work.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

If it's Gloucester then the Tiger Moth may turn out to be a Stampe

But who's complaining!

If that's true, it'd be a clincher for me. The Stampe is a far, far nicer aeroplane to fly than the Tiger.

SSD

[midnight retired]

I had last instructed on the Tiger Moth G-ANTE over 30 years ago when, last year to my surprise, my sons presented me with a Delta Voucher and I was astonished to discover that they had just refurbished that very aircraft. Sywell airfield was made for Tigers so equipped with suitable warm layers of clothing and gloves, but overlooking a scarf, I made the journey from Manchester on a misty Autumnal day to be greeted with a warm welcome by the Delta staff, and just about every one else on this friendly airfield.
After some 12000 hours flying larger aircraft in the intervening years I had forgotten all about the open cockpit, the rush of air around the neck, the thrill of the takeoff and the rudder stick coordination so essential for flying this little bird. Marvellous, just like going solo again.
The Tiger Moth reminds you of the principles of flight that you had to learn about in the beginning but which perhaps had not been that easy to demonstrate in modern aircraft, the rudder as an example suddenly becomes your best friend along with the Turn and slip and with no VSI things get busy. It always did sort out the men from the boys !!
They also video the flight just in case you might have missed something in the excitement, and there is plenty of that. Enjoy it, savour it and treat your benefactors to a good meal for a brilliant idea afterwards!
Should you wish to self-brief I can highly recommend The Tiger Moth Story by Alan Bramson.

[Humaround]

I flew in the yellow (RAF training colours) Moth at Barton in about 2003 - before I started my PPL but after a few years gliding. The aircraft was in nice condition and the pilot let me fly most of the flight from 500' upwards - he said he expected that a glider pilot would feel at home at the controls, which turned out to be true - he gave me speeds and let me fly.

He also did a go-around to give me 2 looks at an approach (he flew them obviously). The whole flight was about 40 minutes but I gathered he'd given me quite a bit of extra time above and beyond the allotted.

A very good experience, thanks to my nice son for the birthday present.

Subsequent experience of both airfields would lead me to recommend Sywell, only because the surroundings are prettier than Barton (hope that doesn't offend too many...) but bear in mind it's quite tricky to book these flights - you have to phone book then ring on the day and flights are often cancelled due weather.

[mr. small fry]

For those pilots who may have forgotten what their feet are really for, I recommend a trip in a Tiger. If you can perform a "real" slow roll (not an aileron or barrel) in a Tiger Moth, you can for sure do it in ANY aeroplane!

[ProfChrisReed]

A couple of years back I had a Moth flight via Cambridge Flying Group as a birthday present. I had exactly 0 hours power, though around 350 hours gliding. The instructor read my log book, talked through my flying, and then let me fly everything from taxiing, take off, turns and stalls, PFL (easy in August), approach, round-out but not the actual landing (because I was treating that like a glider and waiting for it to land itself rather than flaring actively). Benign weather of course, with only about 5 kt wind directly down the runway.

I found it very easy to fly, as it told me when it was out of balance and of course I know about the rudder. Pure fly by attitude, and the whole flight was at roughly the same speed so nothing much to do engine-wise.

A very enjoyable experience, but not enough to convert me from the Dark Side and thus still my only power time.

I gather CFG teaches ab-initio in Moths, which I guess is why they let me do so much of the flight. It might be worth discussing your experience in advance with the provider, so as to find out how much flying they'll let you do.

[shortstripper]

I have no experience of the outfits that you can fly with I'm afraid.

I converted from gliders to power with the CFG. I mostly flew G-AHIZ and can certainly recommend them ... (assuming they haven't changed too much in the intervening 18 years! :eek:). Whilst the Tigermoth isn't everyones cup of tea, it does teach you to fly properly! They are not the most pleasant handling aircraft, but they are not difficult (except to fly "well"). Taxiing downhill with a following wind is .... well, "taxing" to say the least. They have no brakes unless retro fitted, so require weaving across a down slope. Good character building stuff though, that will improve the way you treat any aircraft thereafter :ok:

SS

[gaxan]

I think you will find that henlow is no longer available.

[Holryn]

Unless something has changed in the last few days the Tiger Moth at Henlow is still available either directly or through the usual channels. Give the club a ring.

H