Two historic Tiger Moth biplanes that fly Maitland tourists on adventure trips over the vineyards have made history, celebrating their 75th year in operation.
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Silver and blue, the two planes made their first flights in December 1940.
But between then and now, the two stately ladies have each been through some trauma.
Both were put through exacting flights during World War II, when they were used to train pilots.
After the war, with dozens of unwanted biplanes being sold off the public, these two also found private buyers.
Among its varied tasks, the blue Tiger Moth was a crop duster for several years.
The silver aircraft endured its own particular drama when the squadron’s commanding officer took it over as his personal plane.
In 1947, he was involved in an argument with a fire marshal, who ran over the plane in his truck and flattened it.
A remarkable aircraft lover, Ray Windred, heard about the two Tiger Moths and brought them to Luskintyre, which resulted in the formation of Luskintyre Restoration.
This dedicated group of enthusiasts set to work restoring the blue machine and slowly assembling the silver one until it could be fully rebuilt.
“We are very fortunate to have these professional engineers so close by, because their work is phenomenal,” Ben Merkenhof, owner of Hunter Valley Vintage Wings that flies the two planes, said.
“The Tiger run over by the car was in bits and pieces, but it was rebuilt and flew for the first time last year,” Mr Merkenhof said.
The aircraft are thriving: the blue tiger was voted best biplane in 2004 and the silver one was awarded the Lance Fletcher Award by the National Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia.
“We are very proud of our Tigers and the thrilling flights they give people,” Mr Merkenhof said.
“A flight over Maitland can become a lifelong memory for local people and bring alive the history of what it was like to fly in such a unique aircraft.”
Hunter Valley Vintage Wings, based at Cessnock Airport, specialise in providing open cockpit adventure flights.