The first time Bill Purdy took to the skies he did so as a young man in combat.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This ANZAC Day the WWII veteran will again fly high for The Great Tiger Moth Air Race as one of the last surviving Lancaster bomber pilots of the conflict.
Mr Purdy, 91, will lead the two-day race formation which will include a memorial flyover of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on ANZAC Day morning.
“The Tiger Moth has a lot of history as a training platform for pilots during WWII so who better to lead the formation than someone like Bill Purdy,” race director Richard Brougham said.
This year’s race – hosted by the Royal Newcastle Aero Club at Luskintyre – will also raise funds for the LIFT youth development program (an aviation program for those ‘at risk’) and Soldier On, a charity providing support to Australia’s physically and mentally wounded soldiers.
“This charity is all about helping those soldiers who have returned from recent conflicts in the Middle East including those who have come back from Afghanistan,” Mr Brougham said. “It’s easy enough for most of us to drift away from this war but there are many who are left with permanent reminders of that conflict so we want to tie this charity in with the race.”
The first Tiger Moth Air Race was run in 1977 in order to test the airmanship of the many pilots who took part. There have been 13 races since then, with the last race being held in 2013.
On April 25, 2014, the tradition will be revived and will feature pilots and machines from all over the country.