1990s AUSTRALIAN VINTAGE, VETERAN & CLASSIC
A selection of my photos of older aeroplanes restored and flown by their dedicated owners

DH.82 Tiger Moths grow in numbers thanks to high quality restorations of long-abandoned airframes by private owners and
commercial aviation maintenance businesses. VH-MDV seen at Kempsey NSW in October 1994 has a particularly interesting history.
Built by De Haviiland Aircraft at Sydney in wartime production, it was with a batch diverted to the Netherlands East Indies for military
training, only to be shipped back as PK-VVV when the Japanese invaded the NEI, to be taken over by RAAF as A17-626.


VH-UVZ on the flight line at Caloundra Qld in August 1998, wearing wartime EFTS yellow paint scheme with correct RAAF serial A17-691

Another Tiger in wartime RAAF training yellow markings, VH-OVL is seen in November 1990 at a fly-in at Innisfail Qld.
Australian-built for Southern Rhodesia under the EATS, but taken over by the RAAF and remained in service quite late until 1956.
I find it a pleasure to see a Tiger Moth in an attractive civilian paint scheme like VH-EIE, seen at the February 1999 Avalon Air Show

DH.89 Rapide VH-BGP looked like new, rolled outside of the Drage Air World museum at Wangaratta in January 1990.

DHC-1 Chipmunk VH-AMV was at Narromine NSW in April 1994

Chipmunk VH-ZOT seen at Camden NSW in June 1994 was a recent import from USA. It returned to the States three years later.

Much-modified Chipmunk VH-BVP at Bankstown NSW in March 1992, parked alongside the RAAF Museum's Ventura VH-SFF.
At that time Winrye Aviation was home to a variety of unusual aircraft and warbirds.

Auster J/1N Alpha VH-EUD at Innisfail Qld in November 1990 after owner Justin Meadows and I arrived from Cairns for a fly-in.
As G-ARGT, this Auster was a contestant in the 1970 BP England-Australia Air Race and still wears the race sticker.

Also at Innisfail in November 1990 was wartime production Auster 3 VH-BDM restored in its former RAAF markings.

Another military model, Auster AOP.4 VH-HPM was at Mackay Qld in July 1991. It had just completed a rebuild and repaint in the
RAF markings it would have worn while taking part in the D-Day Allied invasion of Europe.

Auster AOP.5 VH-MKV was at the February 1999 Avalon Air Show. It had been restored to the markings it wore in 1958 while based
 in Singapore as VR-SDQ painted as Miss Pepsi Cola, with an under-wing neon tubing lit signage as "Pepsi Cola" for night advertising.

Auster J/1N Alpha VH-COL at the 1999 Avalon Air Show in an innovative Royal New Zealand Air Force scheme and nose art Jo-Jo,
despite this aircaft never having set foot on Kiwi soil. Making things tricky, NZ1705 was an RNZAF Auster, but a J/5 model,
which was sold to Australia in 1957 and is currently flying as VH-ADS.
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Auster J/1B Aiglet VH-KBC was at Narromine NSW in April 1994 in this rather utilitarian paint scheme.

American classics were being imported by private owners. Luscombe 8E Silvaire VH-LUX was based at Cairns in February 1990.

Luscombe 8A Silvaire VH-HOO seen at Albury in January 1990 had just been imported from the USA the previous year ex N45553.

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