Tiger Club Flight Experience

Join the illustrious Tiger Club for a thrilling Tiger Moth flight experience out of Damyns Hall Aerodrome! This long-established Moth club resides at Greater London's only privately-owned general aviation airfield. Located in Essex just inside the M25 near Upminster, it's only 10 miles from central London.

What makes your flight over the skies of Essex so special is the Tiger Club itself. It's the stuff of aviation legend, with the Tiger Club being formed by a group of friends over a Royal Aero Club dinner in 1956. From the start the intention was to race these wonderful de Havilland dh82as and excel at sport flying. Originally based out of Croydon, the club has moved around a fair bit, with stints at Redhill, Headcorn and Pent Farm before touching down smoothly at Damyns Hall.

The spirit of the club has never waned. Members describe it as 'true aviation heaven' as 'total enthusiasts at the top of the aerobatic and racing world' flying a stunning range of classic and modern aircraft in equally stunning style. Damyns has proved to be a lovely home for the Club, as the aerodrome houses an eclectic mix of residents, with gyros, microlights, helicopters, warbirds, sports aerobatics planes and even a wing walking school all happily sharing the runways here in Essex.

As for the Tiger Moths used to operate these trial flights, well, they have plenty of stories to tell. G-ACDC, was the third ever DH82a version Tiger Moth to ever be produced and the second oldest still in operation. We think that's an amazing feat for a little biplane built in 1933. She was principally used for training pilots at the De Havilland flying school and later the RAF, before returning to civil ownership. This Moth has been with the Tiger Club since 1957, so flying doesn't get much more authentic than this.

Built as number 3889 by de Havilland in Hatfield, Moth G-ASKP first flew in February 1939 as N6588 and saw extensive service as a military trainer. She served to give young RAF pilots their first taste of flight before they moved on to fly fighter and bomber aircraft during the Second World War. By the spring of 1944 she was demobbed, sold at auction and put into storage. Rollason Aircraft & Engines set about restoring her and by 1963, becoming a much-loved part of the Tiger Club fleet in 1964. Indeed, you might have seen her perform aerobatics at one of the many airshows she attended up and down the country.

Courtesy of the Tiger Club, we are offering 20, 30 and 40 minute flights out of Damyns Aerodrome in one of these beautifully restored Tiger Moths. And as you fly over Essex, see if you can spot but all the local landmarks from QE2 bridge and Lakeside shopping centre, to Brands Hatch and the Thames Estuary. But don't get too engrossed in the views, you'll be offered 'a go' at the controls of the biplane too!

• Selected weekdays and weekends, April to October
• All flights are subject to availability and weather conditions however as the airfield at Damyn's Hall is multidirectional sidewinds are not normally an issue

• Minimum age 16, under 18s must be accompanied on the airfield by an adult
• Maximum weight 16 stone
• Participants must be agile enough to climb into the cockpit
• No alcohol is to be consumed before flights

• Spectators are welcome to come along and watch the action

• The airfield Cafe offers a range of hot and cold drinks and food, it has indoor and outdoor seating providing fantastic views of the runway, hangars and taxiways, there's usually lots to see with vintage aircraft, microlights and gyrocopters often flying in and out of the airfield
• For safety reasons no alcohol is permitted on the airfield until after flying has stopped for the day
• Sorry no dogs are permitted on the airfield