Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/118161
landmarks Tiger, Tiger by Dave Quinn >> photograph by Brian Clarkson Kimberley, B.C.'s Neil Davidson has dedicated nearly 50 of his 67 years to the aviation industry, the last 25 of them to rebuilding classic aircraft. His restored vintage planes, many salvaged from old crash sites, can be seen in flight museums around the world and in private collections such as that of New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame. Davidson's favourite ride, though, is his 1940 open-cockpit Tiger Moth trainer biplane — the same wood-frame, canvas-skin two-seater in which World War II Commonwealth pilots earned their stripes. Instructors loved them because their simple design and full manual controls quickly exposed aerially challenged wannabe flyboys. "Tiger . 50 W E S T W O R L D p50-51_Landmarks.indd 50 >> . Moths are easy to fly," Davidson explains, "just not easy to fly well." The pair — pictured here above another B.C. landmark, Fisher Peak — certainly bring a rumbling reality to Kimberley and Cranbrook Remembrance Day ceremonies with their flyby salutes over local cenotaphs. As for between flights, works in progress include the restoration of two 1916 Avro 504s, a World War I open-cockpit trainer biplane. When not in the shop, Davidson is often found at the old Kimberley grass airstrip, offering Tiger Moth rides with donations to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. A flight back in time, aboard Davidson's Tiger Moth: www.bcaa. com/tigermoth Washington's Historic Flight B-25 fly-alongs: www.bcaa.com/b-25 FA L L 2 0 1 1 8/17/11 12:27:39 PM