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This ‘classic’ vintage aircraft
has recently been fully restored to original condition by her proud owner,
Leon Christianakis, amazingly was built in 1925 as a D.H.60 Moth with A.D.C.
Cirrus engine.She was later upgraded to a Gipsy 1 engine and is now using
her second Gypsy II engine. Leon acquired the aircraft, not only driven
by a passion for aviation and enthusiasm for flying, but also to challenge
and break Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s record of 10 days and 5 hrs
to fly around Australia whilst raising money for three worthy charities.
Full details of the epic adventure, sponsorship etc available on our Jackaroo
Aviation website. Bookings for this flight of a lifetime for ‘Open cockpit’ scenic/joyflights Aerobatic thrill rides Select pilots may be able to undertake conversion training and dual hire of the aircraft. Contact Mark Allan, the Jackaroo Aviation Chief Pilot/Chief Flying Instructor for details on 0419 777500. HISTORY OF THE de HAVILLAND GIPSY MOTH The D.H. 60 ‘Moth’ appeared in 1925 and revolutionized aviation. It was a direct result of the worldwide surge of enthusiasm for private flying.First flown on 22 February, 1925, the Moth exceeded expectations and proved itself eminently suitable for school, flying club and private use. It was also delivered to many air forces to be used as tandem, two seat trainers, including those of the U.K., Australia, Sweden, Finland, Japan and Canada. By the close of production over 500 Moths had been built. The first Moth was flown by (Sir) Alan Cobham from London to Zurich and back in a single day on 29 May 1925; and in 1927 Moths accomplished the London – Cape Town return flight and won the first prize for aerobatics at the Copenhagen International aeroplane meeting.In 1928, de Havilland produced their own engine for the Moth, the Gipsy, and the Gipsy Moth was created. The Gypsy Moth was the outcome of nearly 4 years and over 4 million miles with earlier versions. Apart from the change to the Gipsy engine (100-120h.p.), it used a split axle landing gear and cleaner lines. It remained in production until 1934 and was used worldwide in both civil and military applications for sport flying and training and was built under licence in Australia, France and the U.S.A.The Gipsy Moth directly lead to other ‘moths’ including the DH82A Tiger Moth which enabled worldwide development of the flying club movement. The Gipsy Moth was flown by such well known pilots as (Sir) Francis Chichestor, Amy Johnson and J.A. Mollison, who will always be remembered in aviation history for pioneering flights between England and Australia. My Memories of Gipsy Moth VH-UAEMichael Cutler – Ettalong Beach I was born in 1946 on a wheat and sheep farm near Forbes, in the Central West of New South Wales. A few kilometres up the road near the village of Garema lived a farmer named Arthur Wright, who was the proud owner of a 1925 Gipsy Moth. Arthur bought the Gipsy Moth in February 1948, so my earliest memories include the old silver Gipsy flying around the area. Aeroplanes were not very common around Forbes at that time, so when you heard one, it was normal as children to rush outside and have a look. Arthur’s direct route to Forbes was right over our house, so whenever I heard him I would stand on the verandah waving frantically. As he generally only flew a few hundred feet from the ground, (inspecting the neighbours crops and sheep on his way), he always gave me a wave. This started my childhood love for aircraft, which later led to six years of R.A.A.F. service. Let’s face it, in those days not many six year olds had a hero with an aeroplane who they actually knew. We grew up on “Biggles” and “The Air Adventures of Hop Harrigan” on the radio. I remember my father was amused at times when he would say, “that sounds like Artie”, and I would say, “no, it’s someone else”, then rush out to see who it was. Even at that age, I could pick the sound of a Gipsy Major engine in the distance To get to Forbes from our farming community, we traveled through a dry creek crossing called the “Dog and Duck”, which was part of Bundaburra Creek. Two or three times a year when the Lachlan River flooded, the “Dog and Duck” would prevent access to Forbes. Normally, we would only be isolated for a few days before other back roads would be open to traffic. On occasions when we were isolated for longer periods, our local airline went into service. Arthur used to fly to Forbes landing in one of the streets with a farming neighbour as “bombardier” in the front cockpit. Then surrounded by mail, bread and other necessities, they would return to the Garema area. I am probably one of the few people who have ever tried to learn the art of catching two loaves of bread; complete with the mail tucked under the string, from a low flying Gipsy Moth. I have an early memory of my mother and a lilac bush. I thought the lilac must have been a terribly exotic plant, because Mum was so proud of it. I later learned that when temperatures are regularly over 40 degrees and the only water you have is pumped by the windmill, you are proud of any flowering shrub that you could keep alive through a Forbes summer. The lilac stood proudly at the end of the side lawn. It had survived it’s first summer and could now withstand anything that nature could throw at it. Unfortunately, it could not handle two loaves of bread thrown from a low flying Gipsy Moth. As much as Arthur was appreciated, I think he may have been considered to be a little irresponsible that day. One day they didn’t fly over the side lawn, but came in outside the house yard. I raced across the paddock and lined up ready to take the delivery on the chest. Arthur immediately banked and came around for another run. I could see that I was being waved away, so with a trembling lip I slouched over and leant against the tank stand. They dropped a package that looked like a sugar bag, which hit the ground with a tremendous thud and did not even bounce. I recovered the bag and found out that Dad had rung Arthur and asked him to drop off twelve pounds (5.5 kgs) of roofing nails for the hayshed that he was building. Sadly, the lifestyle that we lived and the characters like Arthur Wright are history. Having a bi-plane in your machinery shed and your wife as ground crew seemed normal to Arthur and his neighbours. Fortunately for all of us, there was no beaurocracy to prevent those outback pilots from doing what they did so well. Dropping bread from a Gipsy Moth would be pretty easy after a few years in the cockpit of a wartime aircraft. I was quite excited recently when I visited Windair at Luskintyre Airfield, and spotted a Gypsy Moth. I was beside myself when I saw VH-UAE on the side. Not only is this Australia’s oldest registered aircraft, but it has a very distinguished history. Built in 1925, it was the 12th DH 60 built by de Havilland in it’s UK factory. It was taken by the Australian Defence Department’s Civil Aviation Branch in September of that year, making it’s official debut flight over Essendon in November. At one stage Captain Ulm, who flew with Kingsford-Smith used the aircraft to search the Kosiusko area for the wreck of the Southern Cloud. On 31st March, 1929, it made a spectacular spin into the surf at Cronulla Beach and spent the next five years in a shed. The Gipsy was re-built in 1934 and was used for Radio 2UW’s “shark patrol”, logging 100 hours between Manly and Cronulla. There were a few more owners, then oddly enough after starting it’s life with the Defence Department, it was used by the RAAF between 1940 and 1945. Then of course it was bought by Arthur in 1948, and remained in the Wright family for 40 years. The aircraft was fully restored in 1986, and was flown in the Forbes bi-centenary airshow in 1988. It had logged up well in excess of 2000 hours. To see it today in pristine condition and obviously loved by it’s owner and carers made me feel very good inside. I know Arthur would be pleased. As it flies for hopefully another seventy-five years, something tells me Arthur Wright might just be keeping an eye on it from somewhere above.
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