Colin’s Birthday Flight

Was looking forward to a birthday flight in a Tiger Moth at the recent Muscle Cars & War Birds show held at the Onerahi Airfield on Sunday 12th Jan. Peter Roma had had a flight in a Tiger Moth previously and enjoyed it so much I thought I would do similar, but disaster! The War Birds Tiger Moth and another Bi plane had mechanical issues and would not be attending and the only other Bi plane was fully booked out! I started ringing around and finally managed to contact a private plane based at Onerahi, and yes, it was available and yes, it was a Bi plane, so all the ducks seemed to be lining up for a nostalgic flight!
Turned up on the day with family and visitors in tow and was duly directed to the correct hanger in time to see this little yellow version of a Bi plane waiting with motor running and pilot ready to go. He sat me in the front seat compartment, told me there was no coms between us but to use the thumbs up or down to communicate to him sitting in the compartment behind, and as an afterthought mentioned he would start with a sightseeing cruise and then some aerobatics, and we were off.
I was still mulling over the aerobatics bit and wondered what that involved and looking over the side at the harbour below, so a bit going on when the pilot tapped me on the shoulder, so I gave him the thumbs up as the vista was amazing. We went into a gentle hump like manoeuvre and a wing waggle from left to right and again a tap on the shoulder and I respond with the thumbs up.
What happened next can only be described as an adrenaline rushing hang on for dear life or grim death as the aircraft executed sudden and extreme manoeuvres, from a straight-up climb at full noise for about 500 meters, then the motor sounded as though it had stopped, and we go into a direct dive towards the ground, developing into a dizzying spin, until my stomach contents almost emerge, then the motor cuts in and another stomach churning moment as the plane accelerates towards the ground and manages a turn to the right and another steep climb away from the ground followed by a series of tight rapid corkscrew movements, more up, down, twirly around until I thought how much more of this can I take? (I didn’t even like being rocked as a baby!)
Another tap on the shoulder, a cant quit now thumbs up from me, and we shoot down to about 10 meters off the ground and commence a tree hopping exercise along the Takahiwai foreshore, swerving in and out of the bays and tributaries and freaking out alternative life stylers and farm stock. After numerous tight stomach churning turns and rolls, we head back to the Onerahi Airport.
It seemed such an anti-climax as we sedately cruised in for a smooth landing and taxied up to the hanger, and motor turned off.
What a rush! I walked back to the hanger with the pilot hardly hearing what he was saying. For the rest of the day, I kept reflecting on the experience and replaying various moments in my mind as everything had happened so fast it was hard to take it all in and process all that had happened. As I write this article, I am grateful for the experience and would recommend it to everyone who needs a pick me up! Can’t wait for next year’s Birthday surprise!