G-AJHS taking off from Scheveningen beach at The Hague, Holland

De Havilland DH-82a Tiger Moth G-AJHS
Built in 1939 at Hatfield, the aircraft was taken on charge by the RAF at 6 MU Brize Norton on 6 June 1939 as N6866. It was first issued to one of the former Airwork schools, 9 EFTS at Ansty on 6 October 1939. (It was nominally issued to 48 ERFTS on that date but this unit had ceased to exist on the absorption of the RAF Reserve). On 30 March 1944 the Tiger was ferried to 20 MU Aston Down for storage and was reissued to RAF Blakehill Farm on 22 December 1944 probably for use as a communication hack. After the war, on 16 October 1945, it was returned to store at 9 MU Cosford pending disposal. On 12 March 1947, it was officially disposed of as one of three to Reid & Sigrist Ltd of Desford (the others were T7471 still active as G-AJHU and T7393/G-AJHT, scrapped in New Zealand as ZK-BEE in the early sixties).
Reid & Sigrist registered the Tiger on 12 February 1947 (i.e. before its official sale!) and it was speedily overhauled and civilianised, gaining its first C of A on 12 May 1947. Reid & Sigrist operated the three Tigers at their flying school until 1953, when they were sold. G-AJHS was registered to the Royal Aircraft Establishment Aero Club at Farnborough on 30 June 1953 and it remained active until July 1963 when its C of A expired and it was stored. Brought back into commission in March 1971, it remained at Farnborough until purchased by Wreford Fisher at Sandown in March 1979. On 29 February 1984, ownership changed to Machine Music Ltd, alias Gary Numan. In March 1991 the aircraft was bought by Jan Voeten and Herman van der Paauw and based at Seppe Airfield (EHSE) in the southwest of The Netherlands. Between March 1991 and August 1994 Steve Higgins, a British subject residing in The Netherlands, was registered as formal owner. In 1994 the ownership was formally transferred to Jan Voeten and Herman van der Paauw. As from 1 June 1998, the partnership was extended to 7 owners, and named their new flying group Flying Wires. In april 1999 the group grew to eight members.
G-AJHS is in good company as Seppe also provides shelter to DH-60 Gipsy Moth G-AAMY, DH-87 Hornet Moth G-ADLY and DH82a PH-CSL.

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