VH-BIM  de Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth                  (c/n  3561)

                              

                                   Here's a nice shot of a pre-war Tiger from the Silvestri collection (via the John Hopton collection),
                                   probably taken at Horsham, circa 1948.    The badge on the rudder says 'Wimmera Aero Club'
                                   This 1937 model Tiger was built as G-AETO and exported to Australia in March 1940, although
                                   it was July of that year before it was given its Australian CofR as VH-ACP.   (See my comment
                                   under that rego regarding its importation in the early years of WW II)   In the event, the Newcastle
                                   Aero Club, who had imported it, only had the benefit of it for a scant month since it was impressed
                                   into duty with the RAAF in August 1940 becoming A17-690.   After hostilities had ceased it was
                                   civilianized again in August 1947 as VH-BIM for the Wimmera Aero Club  . Why not -ACP again?
                                   This marking had not been re-issued.   Possibly due to the fact that the Newcastle Aero Club either
                                   didn't want it back, or didn't bid enough for it, and hence the new rego. When the RAAF took over
                                   the operations of the EFTSs in 1940, the loss of income to the Clubs who had been performing these
                                   duties was compensated for, somewhat, at the end of the war by favorable treatment given by the
                                   Commonwealth Disposals Commission to these clubs when they bid on disposals aircraft and, just
                                   as importantly, truck loads of spares.     In 1960 this Tiger was sold to Superspread Pty Ltd who
                                   re-registered it into their series as VH-SSF.