G-ADGV

Built by de Havillands at Hatfield. Construction number 3340. First registered 23rd May 1935 to Brooklands Aviation, Byfleet, Surrey, but based at Sywell.‘GV was pressed into service as BB694 and civil registration cancelled 17th September 1940. There are no details of its work during the war. However its many movements after the war are known and documented. Into storage at 5MU (15/10/1946) then back flying with the RN by 23/2/1948. Worked at many various airstations over the following years. Of note it went to Roborough (Plymouth)17/1/1960 where it was used for Dartmouth Cadet flying. It was during this time that it is known to have flown out to, and landed on, HMS Eagle on 1st July 1964. Finally went into storage at RNAY Fleetlands (Gosport) 13/3/1972 from where Air Commodore Allan Wheeler bought it and restored it to its pre-war civil registration. G-ADGV participated in the great Strathallan Famous Grouse Rally in 1979 where it won the ‘Best Tiger Moth’ Trophy. Allan Wheeler sold the aircraft in 1983 to a private collection at Melle in West Germany and it was flown out there 28-29 April 1983 and the UK registration cancelled on 22nd May 1983. However ‘GV was never registered or flown in West Germany and Ken Whitehead bought it in early 1987, restoring its UK registration on 13th January 1987. Ken Whitehead flew G-ADGV back to the UK at the beginning of May 1987. Then ‘GV very quickly became an integral part of the Diamond Nine display team until the team was disbanded after the 2000 season. It led the trio in the display mid-section as well as providing the lead for the team in many displays. Thus it has led the Diamond Nine Team at the Royal International Air Tattoo both at Fairford and Cottesmore. ‘GV also led the team to its international display at la Ferté Alais south of Paris (May 1997). In September 2000 Andy Paradise of the ‘Independent’ newspaper travelled with the Diamond Nine Team in order to obtain a series of photos for a week-long feature in the newspaper. His final photograph of the team, taken from the front cockpit of ‘GV, won ‘Best black and white Press Photograph of 2000’ and has been sold worldwide. During the course of our ownership we have come across 2 occasions where an image of the aircraft is used commercially in the form of greetings cards. This aircraft must be unique in that it has been in continuous operation (except for a few very short periods) since Brooklands Aviation bought it in 1935. Apart from the military ~ a part of all british aviation of the era ~ there have been only 4 registered owners of this aircraft since its first registration in May 1935. Interesting aspects of its history still continue to appear. In 2011 the aircraft was bought by Dutchman Mr Mike van der Straaten and the aircraft was flown to Seppe Airfield, the new airbase of GV. It will keep the G-ADGV registration.