Tiger Moth - Tips or stories

[W84me]

Hello all,. .. .I am 25 and just strating to full-fill my dream of getting checked out in the Tiger Moth. I am having a ball, The guy checking me out went solo in them over 50 years ago and has some great stories. If you do too Please share them.. .. .Thanks <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" />

[Tiger_ Moth]

I love Tiger Moths too and Ill do my first solo on one sometime in the next few months. I've only done about 10 hours so Im probably too inexpierienced to offer any tips.. .Stories? Someone told me that once they saw a Tiger Moth being landed in such strong winds that it was actually moving backwards in the air just before touchdown. Not sure about that one as it would have had to have been a very strong gust of at least 45mph. Makes you wonder though.. .Without knowing your proportions speechless, I would say don't worry too much as I have seen some rather ample gentlemen flying Tiger Moths.

[tiger burn]

W84ME - sounds like you're having an awesome time!. .Many of my happiest hours have been bimbling about in Tiger Moths & most memorably, 2 years ago I took part in the NZ Millenium Vintage Air Rally - enormous fun & sheer bliss! We practically circumnavigated both N & S islands, often formating with other moths, buzzing along (deserted) beaches at ahem altitude, landing in farmer's fields having buzzed the deer etc off first. Totally awesome!. .Last year I was fortunate to be invited back to take part in a mini Moth safari which involved a 5 day scoot up the west coast of S island, thru the fiordlands & southern alps, camping under the wings, crossing thru Marlborough Sound & over Cook Strait in the most delightful conditions....and not forgetting the reverse thrust cocktails at the end of each exhilarating day. Woweee...wish I was back there! Also did aeros for the 1st time in a deH 82, something I'll never forget & sure proved addictive.. .. .Have also been lucky enough to get wheels up over the Connemara.....flying out from a friends farm strip which doubles up as a sheep field. Way to go!. .. .Hope you have as much fun as I've had. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" />

[Chimbu chuckles]

Pleasant memories of hours spent in VH-UNA just doing circuits on grass and LAROSA aeros (Loops And Rolls On Sunday Afternoon). Also great fun to be had 'streamer cutting' where you end up with dunny paper all over the interplane struts and wires <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> . .. .RIP UNA, her owner and his girlfriend who all died together at an airshow in aid of children with cancer while doing a 'wing walking' act.. .. .Chuck.

[pulse1]

Did my original PPL in a Tiger in '68. I flew into Shoreham on my QXC, non radio of course, and taxied up to the pumps where there was a long queue of spamcans.. .. .As soon as I arrived the wonderful old chap on the pumps ignored all the waiting queue and helped me to refuel straight away. He seemed so pleased to deal with a real aeroplane for a change. Ah, good old days.

[Sleeve Wing]

I must be one of the lucky ones too.. .Like Speechless Two, I was sent on my first solo by W/C Bill Lucas in RN Tiger BB694 at Roborough in Sept.1961.. .. .Had a full military/Airline career in between and then started to fly them again for one of the "pleasure flight" companies about five years ago.. .. .Some of the pax are amazing.. .. .Had a wartime Hellcat pilot who turned up in his original FAA battledress blouse, seaman sweater,sheepskin boots and "C" helmet and mask.. .. .- an ex-Hurricane instructor who hadn't flown for over 50 years and promptly flew the bl...dy thing on rails.. .. .- a 1920s pilot(90) who just wanted "to fly in the clouds" again.It must have been minus 5 as we climbed up through - still don't know whether the tears were on account of the cold or pure emotion .....magic.. .. .Finally there was the gentleman who had last flown Sunderlands over the Atlantic conveys. He was flying it when I had my first (and last?) engine hiccup.. ."We seem to have a bit of a problem,old chap. Do you think you can get her down ?", he said, as the Gypsy started to complain.. .We managed to land back at Old Warden,downwind, still coughing profusely.. .Sticking valves - Tigers really don't like 100LL very much.. .. .Can't finish without the icing on the cake and the amazing attraction that the Tiger still creates with its presence.. .. .Neville Duke came over to chat one weekend whilst I was getting ready for another trip.He still flies and had come in, as he does every year, this time to celebrate the 60th.anniversary of his first solo at 13EFTS. Little did he know that I had worshipped the ground he walked on since he had first test-flown the Hunter in 1951. As a schoolboy, he was my hero and even then I vowed that,one day,I would fly one of those.. .. .Rgds, Sleeve. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" />. . . . <small>[ 08 March 2002, 22:43: Message edited by: Sleeve Wing ]</small>