The Private Pilots Licence

Why should I get my PPL on a Tiger Moth, surely a PPL on a modern aircraft is easier? Anyway I could always convert over to tail draggers after learning on a modern tricycle aircraft?

Flying a vintage aircraft is a truly unique experience.

The Tiger Moth was built in large numbers as a basic trainer aircraft in the period before the Second World War. It was the first aircraft flown by many airmen before they went on to fly Hurricanes and Spitfires etc. Although military and civil aircraft have changed enormously, general aviation aircraft remain similar to those early machines so the Tiger Moth remains an excellent training aircraft even today.

The Tiger Moth is not easy to fly accurately. It requires the student to understand the principles of flight and learn to "listen" to the aircraft to sense what is going on. A student is thus required to develop a natural feel for flying.

The Tiger Moth is a tail dragger and it has a limited crosswind capability. From this the pupil learns safe procedures for take-off and landing. It has no flaps so the student learns to make safe approaches to land with precise control of  speed and height. The Tiger Moth has no starter, so the student learns how to hand swing the propeller to start.  It has no brakes so the student learns how to taxy safely in strong or gusting winds. It has no radio navigation instruments and depends on good visual navigation. These are valuable skills not so readily gained on modern aircraft.

It is easy to say Tiger Moth flying is "seat of the pants flying", but certainly learning to fly on a Tiger Moth does give that extra depth of experience.

Does it make for better pilots? Well, you will have to fly and find out.