An Auckland businessman, who has asked to remain anonymous, picked up the 1940s aircraft from Taieri airfield beginning its journey to its new home at Ardmore Airport yesterday.
He was pleased to be adding the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth to his collection of vintage warbirds, which included a North American T-6 Harvard.
"This is a true New Zealand-built aircraft, obviously, of British design.
There were 98 Tiger Moths that were used to train pilots of the Royal New Zealand Air Force during World War 2 before they flew Avro Lancasters and Supermarine Spitfires.
Although the plane would have seen its fair share of bad weather, the new owner said he was planning on keeping it safe in a hangar with the exception of a handful of joyrides and an airshow or two.
The owner, and engineer Kevin Paulsen, took off from Taieri yesterday and planned to spend the night in Blenheim before flying across Cook Strait today.
"I have done it many times in various different aircraft and I can assure you the moment you’re on land the engine is purring perfectly, but the moment you get over water it’s a concrete mixer."
For the journey, they would fly about 2000 feet above the ground, well below controlled airspace.
