Aviation History

The following article was published in Aviation Safety Digest #113 in 1982. It provides a brief history of the Tiger Moth, both generally and in Australia.

At the outbreak of the Second World War the British government realised it did not have adequate resources to maintain the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the impending air war in Europe.

During World War II, the RAAF established twelve Elementary Flying Training Schools (EFTS) to meet the rapid demand for pilots in an expanding Air Force.

Both of the Mackay Tiger Moth Museum’s DH82A aircraft have had previous lives as crop dusting aircraft.

In 1955, with the rank of Pilot Officer, I was based at RAAF No 1 Basic Flying Training School, Uranquinty, 14 miles from Wagga Wagga NSW.

The RAAF Tiger Moth Handling Notes (1944) can be viewed via the link below:

Universally known and loved throughout the Australian aviation industry as the ‘crash comic’, for nearly forty years the Aviation Safety Digest was an icon

It was 6am on June 14, 1943 when a United States Army Air Force B-17C Flying Fortress converted bomber (VH-CBA) took off from Mackay Airport, bound for Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

Sources:

Mackay Daily Mercury: Terry Hayes

During the last weekend of March 1953 RAAF Lincoln and Mosquito aircraft visited Mackay as part of a recruiting drive. As per the newspaper articles below more than…

If you look out to sea just after takeoff on one of our Tiger Moth Joy Flights you may see the remaining wreckage of Queensland Airlines DC-3 VH-BBV.