The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth
is a 1930s biplane designed and built by the de Havilland
Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force and
many other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. The Second
World War saw RAF Tiger Moth carrying out a number of other
roles, including maritime surveillance, defensive
anti-invasion preparations, and even some aircraft that had
been outfitted to function as armed light bombers.
This photo
was taken at the Daedalus100 event; an event to celebrate 100
years of the airfield at Lee-on-Solent and took place over the
two days of 16th - 17th September 2017. Day one was a glorious
day with sunshine all day and very little wind, alas, day two
was overcast and breezy. The took the form of static aircraft
displays, many of which flew in to the delight of the early
birds. There was a mixture of light aircraft and helicopters,
all of which were parked to allow you to get close for some
nice photos. Also on site was a varied mixture of stalls, with
plenty of things to keep the children entertained.
Daedalus
air station was first established in 1917 as HM Naval Seaplane
Training School and transferred to the RAF in 1918. When the
Fleet Air Arm was established in 1937 it was then transferred
to the navy and named HMS Daedalus. There have been many moves
to close the airbase, but thanks to many people’s tenacity, it
is now going to remain, even if a little smaller. The Airfield
is now owned by Fareham Borough Council, and has been renamed
Solent Airport.
Aviation
enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that there is now an
outdoor seating area serving the needs of those who like to
take photographs. Alternatively you could just grab a cuppa
and a burger from the small cabin by the entrance and just
relax wathing the airfield activitiy. For future reference
there are plans to hold a 75th anniversary event in 2019 to
commemorate the the D-Day Landings. |
