People

Phil Archer

I'm the photographer in the group. While everyone is out there doing fuel drains or swinging props, I'm generally bolted to my camera snapping photos. From the ground, from the air, air to air shots - I've done them all. I've taken over 1,000 shots of Tiger Moths and you'll see some of them on this website and others hanging around the walls at Luskintyre.

Warren Armstrong

I'm the test pilot of the group. And the maker of special bits and pieces, and washer and polisher of Tiger Moths and just about anything you'd care to name. I've been flying Tigers for more than 60 years and still enjoy a circuit or two. For me there's nothing better than to sit under the trees on a Saturday afternoon and watch the boys having fun. There is one thing better actually - and that is if one of the boys walks over asks me to do a bit of test flying for them.

Keiran Balkin

Luskintyre Owner

Andrew Biggs

Luskintyre Owner

I own and fly a 1959 model Cessna 150 and also fly my grandfather's Tiger. I especially enjoy trips away with a few other aircraft and a gang of people. I'm the most junior member of the group and also the luckiest because I live at Luskintyre in Kevin's hangar! Not many 19 year olds have 6 Tiger Moths parked outside their bedroom door or a runway 50 feet away. I also participate in aerobatics nationally and hold two Australian titles.

Richard Brougham

Keiran Byrne

Jamie Campbell

Luskintyre Owner

Luskintyre is a fun place and that is the main attraction for me. It's the people that make the difference. There's a huge resource of knowledge, skills and an enthusiastic attitude amongst the crowd that come here. I'm also a Ham Radio enthusiast and operate regularly on the HF Amateur bands from the airfield.

John Clarke

Luskintyre Owner

John Cook

Vince Cronan

Scott Emerson

I'm a regular at Luskintyre and first discovered this place and it's people during the 2003 Great Tiger Moth Air Race. Since then I have been coming up here regularly on Saturdays. I enjoy coming to Luskintyre because no matter what we do we always manage to have a great time. Luskintyre is also special because it is a quiet escape from living in the centre of Newcastle.

Ken Farley

I commenced flying training in 1956 and retired from an airline career in 1996 - 32 years from DH82's to B747's. I have been a member of a number of aero clubs and flying schools. All have particular attractions - location, social activities, camaraderie and friendship as well as training. Luskintyre has all of these plus a dedication and passion for flying. Simply the best!

Tom Filipcevic

I am a pilot and currently restoring my own Tiger Moth in Ray's hangar. They call me the Wing Man because I have created some fantastic jigs and tools for making first class Tiger Moth wings. Over the years we have seen many wings come in for repair and we've worked out how to restore them efficiently. Our jigs and tools make it an easy to produce a consistent and reliable product. I have my own special section at the back of Ray's hangar where there's plenty of room to spread out and get things right.

David Fletcher

Grant Fletcher

Lance Fletcher

I've had a long association with Tiger Moths - initially through the Royal Newcastle Aero Club and now with Luskintyre. I'm the guy responsible for "Good Engineering Practice" as far as Tigers are concerned and I make sure that all the restoration work and maintenance is carried out according to the book. I also insist on them looking pretty because there's nothing quite like a pretty Tiger Moth. It's a team effort at Luskintyre and I'm delighted to be part of the team.

Malcolm Fletcher

Steve Fraser

I own and fly a Robinson R22 helicopter. I'm also a LAME and work with Terry doing annual inspections on aircraft and engine rebuilds. We're well set up to repair and overhaul Gypsy Major engines and I spend a lot of my time working on the engines themselves or on components like magnetos and so forth.

Ken Glover

Peter Goninan

Alan Kilpatrick

I started flying Tiger Moths in 2003 at the Great Tiger Moth Air Race. Since then I've been a regular at Luskintyre where I'm also known as the "Rumbo Kid". My jokes and stories go off like rapid machine gun fire as the night draws on. I also participate in aerobatics both nationally and internationally and hold a number of Australian titles.

Geoff Kubank

Luskintyre Owner

Leanne Lawrence

Talk about big kids. I keep the house, lunchroom, bathrooms and hangars tidy while the boys are flat out messing them up. It's a never ending battle with this lot but I find the more I rouse on them the better they get. And I thought aviators would have been neat and tidy people.

Ben Newman

Warren Niven

I own and fly a Vans RV-4 which was first of type in this country and built by Geoff Carr, and travel to fly-ins, airshows and social get-togethers. I come to Luskintyre regularly to attend "Lunch with the Tiger Moths". It's a fun event and I encourage others to come along and get into the swing of things. It's a great opportunity to catch up with the guys and find out what's been happening. I am known as "the Gypsy Cook" because I have come up with a heap of variations to include in the lunchtime BBQ menu.

John Owen

Geoff Page

Luskintyre Owner

Brian Parkinson

Luskintyre Owner

Mark Piper

Barney Riordan

Luskintyre Owner

Peter Rowney

I'm a budding student pilot who has finally made the jump from flying model planes to flying the real thing. The people I have met at Luskintyre are the very best. Great advice and friendship are offered freely from some of the finest and most modest pilots you could ever hope to meet. I enjoy Saturday nights BBQs, a game of pool, some tall tales from the last trip away, and the log fire raging. "Dear Lord, If I must have an instrument failure, please let it be the Hobbs meter."

Terry Ryan

I own and fly a homebuilt KR-2. I'm also an AME and work with Steve doing annual inspections on aircraft and engine rebuilds. As with all aircraft, Tigers need an annual checkup to keep them airworthy. Gypsy Major engines require special attention so we have set up our workshop to specialise in their maintenance and overhaul.

Darryl Single

I've been helping Ray with the paintwork on Tigers for many years now. At the start I only came up on Saturdays, but now it's almost every day. To me there's nothing better than to see an old girl roll out the door knowing that she's got a decent coat of paint on her and that she looks the part. I take extra care when painting a Tiger because I know that people will always judge her by the coat she wears.

Frank Summers

I'm known as Dr Frank at Luskintyre and generally keep an eye on the boys to make sure that their health is up to scratch and that they're not over indulging at the BBQs. I also enjoy the cameraderie of the trips away and join in whenever I can.

John Thyrd

I gained my PPL in 1971 but raising a family curtailed my flying from 1979-2000. At the turn of the century I decided I deserved to have some fun, resumed flying, abandone "tin aeroplanes" and started flying a DH-82A Tiger Moth. Flying a Tiger is a wonderful experience, it's a trip back in time to the days of the truly great aviators. I fly VH-MDV at Luskintyre and love every minute of it. Luskintyre is a special place for me characterised by a group of special people bound together by a common love for aviation and sharing the camaraderie and fun of open cockpit flying.

Kevin Trevitt

I have owned and flown a Cessna 182 for 25 years and have recently purchased a share in a Tiger Moth. While I enjoy coming to Luskintyre and doing some local flying every few weeks, the highlight of my flying has been the trip we did to Swan Hill in 2005. It was the experience of a lifetime, and finally I got up to speed on juggling the GPS, holding the maps flat and operating the controls all at the same time to keep the Tiger on course. What an achievement.

Kevin Weldon

Luskintyre Owner

John Weymouth

Luskintyre Owner

I have been operating in the general aviation field for over thirty years. Heli-Muster and Heli-Aust have a fleet of fixed wing aircraft and turbine helicopters located at Bankstown and Warnervale. When in NSW I escape to Luskintyre with Bundy (my little fury pal) to enjoy the unique planes, unique people and unique location.

Tim White

I'm the mentor of the group - the mentor for enthusiasm and fun. If it's got to do with flying and trips away then I'll be there in my Cessna 150 and my RM Williams flying gear. I'm also a flying instructor and an AME so I'm keen about keeping the standards up and the flying safe in whatever we do. WooHoo!

Frank Williams

Luskintyre Owner

Kevin Willoughby

Ray Windred

Luskintyre Owner

I just cannot work fast enough really. The moment I get a Tiger finished and out the door (after restoration) the word gets out and I've got another 3 to do. We've got about 15 Tigers under restoration and slowly but surely we're getting them done. I just wish Darryl could paint faster. They may have built Tigers quicker during World War II but they didn't build them as well as we do now. Our glues, fabric, paint and materials are far better now than what they had then, and our knowledge and experience is second to none.

Mick Wood

Luskintyre Owner

The boys are so busy flying and having fun that someone's got to keep the grounds tidy and that's me. You'll see me on the blue tractor slashing the grass or keeping the cattle under control. I also fix the fences, put gravel on the road and make sure that the scallywags don't get out of control. And when the work's done and it's time for play, I'm always there to give the boys a hand to empty the esky at sunset.

Ryan Young

I had never been in a plane before and my first flight was in a Tiger in September 2004. It was so cool - just like a computer game but windy and noisy. I've now got my Student Pilot Licence and I'm well on the way to getting my PPL. I've been on a few trips with the boys to Cameron Corner, Coonamble, and Swan Hill and I look forward to going on many more. One day I hope to get a ride in a big red 737 too.