Whirlwind and I have talked about this post and we have decided that, in the interest of flight safety, the following tragic story is worth publicising. The lesson is that the Tiger Moth is a delight to fly, but that it can be very unforgiving in some circumstances, as this Swedish accident report shows:
http://www.havkom.se/virtupload/reports/rl2000_16e.pdf
I have a particular interest in this aircraft, SE-AMM, pictured here some two years earlier at Duxford:
De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth, SE-AMM, Private
because before being sold to Sweden it was G-ANEF, a DH82A Tiger Moth that many PPRuNers will remember from the RAF College Cranwell Flying Club. I flew my first powered solo in it, in 1966.
The type's propensity to flick-depart in a slow climbing turn was demonstrated to me by my instructor at a safe altitude, some 4000 feet as I recall, on a freezing winter's day. I have never forgotten that sortie, my first fully-developed spin, or how cold I was. Thank you, Bob!
Safe flying everyone! Enjoy your Tiger Moth flying, wherever it is. But don't forget those lessons from the past, or the dear people who learned them the hard way for our benefit.