Ian Bennie de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth

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The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company in the 1930s. It was developed for private touring customers as well as for pilot instruction for both military and civilian operators. It was also operated as a primary trainer aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the Second World War, RAF Tiger Moths were operating as maritime surveillance, anti-invasion, and armed light bombers aircraft.
The Tiger Moth remained in RAF service until it was replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in the 1950s. Many of the military surplus aircraft eventually entered the civilian market.
New Zealand citizen Ian Bennie owned a de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth, ZK-BFX in 1974. The aircraft was a 1954 import from the United Kingdom that was working as an aerial applicator of agricultural materials before it ended up with Weedair in the 1960s. After being rescued by Bennie, the aircraft was rebuilt using parts from aircraft ZK-BAN and ZK-COU and the ZK-BFX flew again in November 1974.
Early in 1975, Bennie had his Tiger Moth shipped by air to the United States and began flying the aircraft around the country.
Ian Bennie of New Zealand flew his DH.82 Tiger Moth, ZK-BFX, through Albuquerque in October of 1975 during his “Around the USA” flight as part of the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations.

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