My father first learnt to fly in a silver RAF Tigermoth in the 50's. He grew very fond of these old biplanes.
On his 70th birthday I gave him a flight in one as a treat. It was a yellow painted moth, reg G-ANFM. He loved the flight, and luckily enough I managed to get a flight as well. I'm now also very fond of the old Tigermoths.
For Dad though, it was his last ever flight.
Several years later - in his 80's - I took him to a Goodwood Tigermoth meet airshow and the same Tigermoth he had his last flight in was there - out on the flight line was G-ANFM.
Dh.Tigermoths G-ANFM and G-AXBW (Photos from AIRLINERS.NET)
He wasn't very well by this time, but we managed to walk out to this aircraft and he was so happy as the memories came back.
Two weeks later he went in to hospital for the first and last time. A picture of Tigermoth G-ANFM sat on a table beside his hospital bed.
When his funeral came around, I called everywhere to try and get a Tigermoth to carry out a fly past. I figured that was the least I could do for a man who gave his life to aviation and air safety.
The owner of a Silver Tigermoth (G-AXBW), like the one my father first flew many moons ago, offered his services to carry out the flypast. I felt happy about this. A Tigermoth tribute was going to happen.
On the day of the funeral, two Tigermoths flew over. The owner of the silver one, G-AXBW - had mentioned to a friend of his about the tribute flight, and the friend decided to come along.
The second Tigermoth was that very same Tigermoth that he had his last flight in, and I had my first Tigermoth flight in....the very same Tigermoth that was the last aircraft he ever saw before going into hospital - G-ANFM flew the tribute alongside G-AXBW.
One final point to mention is that another Tigermoth pilot heard about what was happening and hitched a ride as a passenger in G-ANFM to pay respects to my dad. The passenger was a lady called Sue Thompson. She was also the lady that took my dad for that last flight 13 years earlier.
I would have loved for him to see his grandchild, but at least he saw me married, and knew that children were on the horizon.
said...
Hi, hope you don't mind me commenting, that is a great thing you did for your Dads funeral service, my Dad loved scotish bagpipe music and i wanted to have a piper play at his funeral but it was vetoed by my stepmother, one point i know about the Tiger Moth G-ANFM, it was the aircraft that featured in the Gerry Anderson Thunderbirds episode Thunderbird 6. both in real film and model form, looks like you both flew in a film star aircraft.
with best regards.
Greg Wilson