Nostalgic flight for fighter pilot
Memories came flying back for World War II fighter pilot Bryan Cox when he took to the skies above South Canterbury in the same Tiger Moth plane he last flew 75 years ago.
The 93-year-old performed the flight at the Rangitata Island Aerodrome near Geraldine yesterday. ‘‘It was quite the nostalgic experience,’’ he said.
Cox flew the Tiger Moth during his elementary flying training at RNZAF Station Harewood (now Christchurch International Airport). He flew Kittyhawks and Corsairs during World War II, embarking on combat operations against the Japanese at 19 years old. He served three tours in the South Pacific, and spent a year in Hiroshima after the war.
On Cox’s 20th birthday, he witnessed several of his fellow fighter pilots perish in a dogfight.
‘‘There were 15 of us, only eight of us landed. I am a bit lucky. I was about to bail out in darkness but in a flash of lightning I saw the trees under me. ‘‘The flash saved my life.’’ The RNZAF had more than 420 Corsairs in operation during the war – Cox estimates he flew more than 113 of them. ‘‘They were all identical, it didn’t make any difference which one we flew.’’
During yesterday’s flight, Cox performed an array of aerobatics in the Tiger Moth, taking over the controls from Andrew Love who undertook the takeoff.
‘‘It took more stick forces that I’ve done in other aeroplanes.
‘‘It seemed to be trickier flying the Tiger than flying a modern day plane, which these days operate more like driving a car.
‘‘It’s 75 years since I flew a Tiger Moth; I thought it was heavier on the controls than I expected. Aerobatics is something I have done all my career.’’
After the war, Cox went on to have a long and distinguished career in aviation mainly as a flight instructor, amassing 21,000 hours in the air, and writing several books on his experiences.
Earlier this year, he became one of New Zealand’s oldest pilots when he received his recreational pilot licence at age 93.
‘‘I think the instructor was more surprised than I was.’’
The Tiger Moth biplane is now owned by Russell Brodie of Rangitata Island Aerodrome.
Yesterday’s flight was set up when Brodie enlisted air force historian and founder of the Wings Over New Zealand Show, Dave Homewood, to identify any surviving veterans who had flown the Tiger Moth during World War II. Homewood found an entry in the log book confirming Cox had flown the aircraft during his training.
Asked whether he would fly a Tiger Moth again, Cox said it was unlikely. ‘‘I’ll be 94 next birthday but I doubt I’ll outlive this aircraft.’’
‘‘I doubt I’ll outlive this aircraft.’’ Bryan Cox