DH82a
 

I've just started flying a Tiger Moth again, after many years of rotary wing flying, and I am loving every moment.

I would be very interested to hear tales from past masters of the DH Moth types, as I suspect, would other PPruners. Close shaves, hints and tips, memorable flights, you name it - there must be a lot of experience we'd enjoy hearing about.

What I'd be really interested to hear about, is how much (or perhaps, little) training people had on the Moth before being kicked off on a first solo in a single engine fighter during the war years... I just cannot imagine how I would have got on, just out of my teens, knowing very little and having only a few hours under my belt.

Whirlwind, if you haven't got it already, a copy of The Tiger Moth Story by Bramson and Birch is worth reading!

whirlwind: You would have managed very well, just the same as tens of thousands of others who learnt on the Tiger.

I count myself very lucky to have been taught by a maestro on that aircraft, Cecil Pashley.

I second the Bramson/Birch book (ISBN 0-85979-103-3)

For instance (page 202)

http://i36.tinypic.com/suzvdf.jpg

And the infamous caption that adorned that pic:

"If this doesn't kill me, Norman will"

Bless you John Blake!

happy days
 

Oh happy days, Bunny Bramson sent me solo in Aug 1958, tiger G-AOUY owned by the Glamorgan Flying Club at Rhoose Used to be £3 18s 6d per hour,I expect it is now a little more per hour?

What a picture! I think I've seen it before, but of course didn't know about the infamous caption - nice one!

I've already got a bid in on ebay for the book; there are plenty about - thanks for the recommendation chaps.

I first started flying Tigers in 1970, with Messrs Cheshire, Stapp, Lecomber, Falk and Co. at the Biplane Club, Denham. I think at the time there were about 3 Tigers in the hangar, in various states of repair, but G-AXAN and AXTY are in my logbook, so they were clearly serviceable. Later on in '72 I flew G-AXXV at Linton, which I think was owned by some of the instructors on the FTS staff.

A break from fixed wing followed on Whirlwinds (surprise) and Sea Kings SAR, inevitable rotary wing instructing, then to commercial - Bell 212, Sikorsky S76 etc...

The DH is more fun than any of those things...
WW

You should try a Stearman!

Do you have one I can try Mr Mushroom?
WW

Whirlwind, Lecomber occasionally graces PPRuNe with his exalted (and I mean that most sincerely folks, way more than Hughie Green ever did) presence. Stapp sadly has passed on, was Cheshire the redoubtable Leonard or AJ? Don't know of Falk (apart from Peter ...)?

PS re the infamous caption, with Blake it was ever thus. Think Williams, Stampe and Biggin... Ah, commentary, thy name is Blake. (or O'Brien).

CSman,

I experienced my first ever loop in G AOUY at Rhoose. I think it was the pilot's first loop as well, it was a bit rough. He went on to fly Sea Vixens and lead the Rothmans. I did my PPL on a Tiger 8 years later for £2 10s an hour, which makes the '59 Glamorgan Flying Club rates look a bit high.

Was Bill Barnard the CFI in your day?

Ooh, what a give away! Much missed as well I'll venture...

And particularly in my thoughts today as I watched the Sea Vixen performing at Bournemouth. So sad that he never got to display it himself.

Amen. We have been robbed of far too many individuals who make aviation an exciting passtime, let alone an occupation.

Tgraph, it was Tony Cheshire and I think, Peter Falk. Barry Turner and his younger brother (who had a very quick Velocette) were around too. Neil Williams used to pop in quite frequently and graced us with his upside down flypast presence. I was in awe of him of course, moreso when I heard his story of a wing folding up on him mid aerobatic manoeuvre - and his solution to the problem.
I met Brian Lecomber at Brawdy many years later , when he'd established himself as an aero 'presence', and see his writings in Flyer mag - he doesn't look any different!
They were happy days for me at Denham. Most evenings we flocked in a variety of vehicles to a pub or out for a curry. Ian 'schimmel' Fenwick had a horrible Reliant 3-wheeler I recall, in which I often cadged a lift (I only had a shabby 350 Matchless then).

There is a fasinating thread going on in the military forum.

pulse1
 

George Kemp did most of my initial training, looking in my old log book,he and Bunny Bramson seemed to appear the most, a little later Bernard did some training with me on the Jackaroo. Also I see a signature signed by J A Bennett as the CFI,so that must have been after Bernard left

I did my Stearman time with and outfit called "Eastern Stearman" at Old Buckenham, which is not too far away from you, Whirlwind. It was run by a fellow called Jim Avis. I believe that outfit is long gone now but apparently some Stearmen remain at OB. Suggest you take a trip over there and ask, and maybe post the results here?

Anybody remember Wg.Cdr. Bill Lucas and his son, Peter, at Roborough, early 60s.
Bill ran the show and Peter,who was a full-time RAF pilot, used to help out.
Bill Lucas sent me off on my first Tiger solo in quite a short time, stomping off across the airfield with his cushion under his arm, muttering "Don't break it !
That was a term before the "instructor from Rhoose".

Used to do consecutive loops in the Tiger and lose very little height - I still can't do that !

Tigers Bite
 

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.