After a lot of thought and deliberation, I am sadly looking to sell my share in VH-BGR. Given that I currently live interstate from the aircraft, I can no longer justify the travel expenses or have the time to fly her anymore. This beautiful Tiger Moth is operated by the Low N Slow Pty syndicate from Luskintyre airfield in the Hunter Valley, NSW. This group was established in 2016 and is very friendly and well-run, with around 15 members. Despite the number of owners, she is under-utilised and currently only averages around 50 hours a year of flying- with not all group members being themselves active pilots. In all instances, I have found the aircraft has been easily available when desired- and the bonus of having a large group, is that it keeps costs very low! This Tiger Moth was actually built in the United Kingdom as DX470 in 1942. It was initially destined for South Africa but instead shipped to the EPTS at RAAF Parkes in NSW and designated A17-647. She remained there until after the war, eventually being sold in 1948 as a civilian trainer to Narromine Aero Club under the civilian registration VH-BGR. After many decades later in storage, BGR was transported to Luskintyre Aircraft Restoration in the Hunter Valley, where it was restored and finally flew again in 2016. She wears her authentic silver RAAF livery, with the addition of a hand painted 'shark mouth' in tribute to her first civilian scheme. Being an all grass airfield with immediate maintenance onsite, there quite simply isn't a better location to base a Tiger Moth in Australia than Luskintyre- hence why there's around 15 airworthy DH82a's that call it home.The workshop that both restored and services her is only a few hangars away from hers, with a wealth of engineering knowledge on the DH82, aircraft fabricing and Gipsy Major engines. Luskintyre is around a 2 hour drive from Sydney, and just under an hour from Newcastle. The airfield also has a furnished guesthouse available to members, where they can overnight should they wish to make their flying outings into a weekend away. Very helpful for those travelling from afar or interstate (as I often do). VH-BGR is also a unique Tiger Moth with a few modern additions and conveniences in her restoration. These include an airflow-driven generator, dual batteries, a ferry fuel tank, squared-off rear cockpit doors, wheel brakes and a tail wheel to replacing the original skid. She is fitted with an intercom and Icom IC-A220 VHF radio. At present, BGR has 2155 hours on the airframe, with 945 having been flown since her restoration. Her Gipsy Major IC engine is at 945 hours, with its TBO due at 1500 hours. As with airframe, any engine work required can also be completed on site at Luskintyre. In terms of costing, this is probably the cheapest Tiger Moth flying a pilot can find in the country. The share itself is for sale at $12,000 AUD, the yearly Luskintyre movement fee is $1700 per pilot, the monthly levy fees are only $100 (covering hangarage and insurance) and the hourly rate is $150 wet. The latter is charged off the air switch/ maintenance release hours, rather than block time, so as to encourage pilots to allow proper aircraft ground care… ensuring correct winter engine warm-ups are conducted without haste etc. I honestly cannot fault how well organised and run this syndicate is… it has been an absolute pleasure to have been a member for the past 4 years. The group organises flying through an online booking system with automatic emailing- which can be checked from any PC or mobile device. We generally look for syndicate members who have an interest or background in vintage/ tailwheel aircraft operation, though of course it is not essential. Training can be carried out by a local instructor. If any of this sounds appealing to you, please do not hesitate to get in touch! |