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| Tiger Club | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tiger Club |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Type | Private aviation club |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Focus | Historic aircraft preservation, air racing, flying displays |
Tiger Club
The Tiger Club was a British private aviation organization formed in 1960 to promote vintage aircraft flying, air racing, and display flying, with links to Royal Air Force, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Imperial War Museum, Goodwood Festival of Speed, and Royal Aero Club. The club operated between aerodromes such as Biggin Hill Airport, Duxford Aerodrome, Sywell Aerodrome, Shoreham Airport, and Blackbushe Airport, attracting pilots, engineers, and enthusiasts from institutions like British Aircraft Corporation, De Havilland Aircraft Company, and Aero Engineering.
The club was established by a group of pilots including former Royal Air Force veterans and display pilots with connections to Empire Test Pilots' School, Fleet Air Arm, and private owners of de Havilland types such as De Havilland Tiger Moth and de Havilland DH.88 Comet, inspired by air racing traditions from events like the King's Cup and the Schlesinger Race. Early activities involved restoration projects with workshops tied to Boulton Paul Aircraft, Hawker Siddeley, and volunteer teams from Imperial College London and London University Air Squadron. Over decades the club collaborated with organizations hosting events at Royal International Air Tattoo, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and regional shows run by Aero Club of Great Britain and local councils in Sussex, Hertfordshire, and Cambridgeshire. The club's administrative evolution intersected with regulators including the Civil Aviation Authority and advisory groups such as Air Transport Auxiliary heritage committees.
Membership comprised private pilots, former Royal Air Force officers, aircraft engineers, and preservationists affiliated with groups like Aircraft Restoration Company, Shuttleworth Collection, and Brooklands Museum. The club structured itself with a committee, operations team, and maintenance crews, liaising with airfields like Fairoaks Airport and Goodwood Aerodrome and bodies such as British Gliding Association and Royal Aero Club for events and insurance. Membership tiers encouraged participation in air races associated with King's Cup entries, display flying at Flying Legends and Duxford Air Festival, and restoration work in partnership with trusts like Classic Aircraft Trust and museums including Science Museum and National Museum of Flight.
The Tiger Club operated a fleet focused on classic types: De Havilland Tiger Moth, Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, North American Harvard, and light aircraft variants such as Auster Aiglet and Percival Provost. Maintenance and operations followed standards influenced by manuals from de Havilland Aircraft Company, coordination with Civil Aviation Authority airworthiness inspectors, and workshops linked to Airworthiness Directives implementations and vintage avionics suppliers used by Royal Air Force Museum. Flying operations included formation aerobatics at events like Royal International Air Tattoo, participation in races such as the Goodyear Trophy and route rallies across airfields including Shoreham, Sywell, and Biggin Hill.
The club organized and participated in displays and races at Goodwood Revival, Flying Legends, and Duxford Air Show, and staged commemorative flights for anniversaries of battles such as Battle of Britain commemorations coordinated with Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and tributes at Imperial War Museum Duxford. It supported cross-country rallies linked to King's Cup entrants and collaborative flypasts for charities associated with Royal British Legion and veterans’ groups. The Tiger Club also contributed aircraft and expertise to film productions involving studios like Pinewood Studios and historical documentaries produced by BBC and ITV.
Operations required adherence to procedures from the Civil Aviation Authority and interaction with accident investigation bodies such as the Air Accidents Investigation Branch when incidents occurred. Training and competency frameworks referenced standards from the Royal Aero Club and former Empire Test Pilots' School guidance. The club experienced incidents during display flying and racing that prompted safety reviews involving stakeholders including CAA inspectors, local aerodrome operators at Shoreham Airport and Sywell Aerodrome, and insurers connected to Lloyd's of London policies, leading to updated operating limitations and maintenance regimes.
The organization left a legacy influencing preservation efforts at institutions like the Shuttleworth Collection, Brooklands Museum, and Royal Air Force Museum, and inspired successor groups and clubs operating at Duxford Aerodrome and regional airshows such as Goodwood Revival and Flying Legends. Its activities nurtured public interest in vintage aviation alongside media outlets including the BBC, The Times, and Flight International, and enriched veteran commemorations tied to Battle of Britain Memorial Flight events and charitable partnerships with Royal British Legion and regional heritage trusts. The club’s model for combining racing, displays, and restoration informed practices at organizations like Aircraft Restoration Company and preservation programs at universities such as Cranfield University.
Category:Aviation clubs in the United Kingdom