Authorities have grounded Tiger Moths nationwide amid concerns for safety but there’s still hope for the Great Train Race in Maitland.
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The Great Tiger Moth Air Race, which would have seen 40 of the planes fly over Sydney Harbour, was one of the first events to be cancelled.
Even the Tiger Moth synonymous with the Maitland Toyota Steamfest Great Train Race has been grounded since a similar plane crashed, killing the pilot and a passenger.
Pilot Alex “Jimmy” Rae and French tourist Taissia Umenc were killed when the plane crashed off South Stradbroke Island during a joy flight last December.
The crash and deaths are troubling for Royal Newcastle Aero Club chief pilot Phil Unicomb, who usually flies in the Great Train Race.
Mr Unicomb had planned to race again this year until the crash claimed the life of his former student and grounded his own Tiger Moth.
“I have found it doubly sad because I knew Jimmy Rae [the pilot] and he was a good operator,” he said.
The Australian Transport and Safety Bureau issued letters to Tiger Moth owners that required them to replace the tie rods blamed for the crash. The components at fault are tie rods made in Australia, which have been ordered to be replaced with English-made tie rods.
The tie rods run through the fuselage and stabilise the lower wings.
The planes are not to exceed 10 hours of flight time from March 21, before the tie rods are replaced.
Mr Rae had been a commercial pilot who had only undergone training with Mr Unicomb in June last year.
“[The crash] was absolutely no fault of his own,” Mr Unicomb said. “It was this aeroplane (pictured) that I trained him in.”
A Maitland City Council spokesman said the Great Train Race would go ahead at the steam festival at this stage.
“We have not received any information to suggest that there will be any change to our program of events for Steamfest,” council events co-ordinator Adam Franks said.
“Should any information be received we will work with relevant stakeholders to find solutions.”
A replacement plane could be found at Luskintyre.
“I can’t see any reason [the race] can’t go ahead,” Luskintyre Aviation Flying Museum shareholder Frank Williams said.
The airfield possesses an enviable collection of Tiger Moths and pilots and only those with the suspect Australian-made tie rods blamed for the wing failure are under scrutiny.
But the soonest shipment of replacements from England was not expected until May.
Mr Unicomb said he had looked forward to flying again in the Great Train Race on April 13.
“I’ve flown a total of eight, but someone from Luskintyre might have to this year,” he said.
“By the sound of it they will dig one up.”