VH-ABL (3)  de Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth               (c/n  82259)

                             
                                        
                                   This was formerly Super Spread's VH-SSP.  It was built as a RAF Tiger Moth and was one of
                                   those which served with the RAAF but retained its British serial.    Civilianized in 1948, it first be-
                                   came VH-BND before being sold to Super Spread in 1955.    Super Spread sold -SSP to Air
                                   Mist Pty Ltd of Launceston in Sept 1958.    Air Mist also had bases at Moorabbin and Parafield
                                   and -SSP was retired under the DCA agricultural Tiger fleet reduction program and dismantled in
                                   Air Mist's Parafield hangar, being struck-off the register in March 1964.   It came back on in Aug
                                   1969 as VH-ABL, rebuilt by John Jansson of Melbourne.  John Hopton took the above photo at
                                   Moorabbin in 1970.  Later is was a regular at the 1970s airshows in a beautiful blue & white paint
                                   job, as seen in Greg Banfield's photo below, at Point Cook on 9 December, 1979.   The contemp-
                                   orary shot below was taken by Phil Vabre at the 2008 Temora, NSW Air Pageant, in, of course,
                                 . the obligatory 'warbird' livery.  Even so, the dash in the serial number is non standard, and, as far as
                                   I know, was not present in its original RAAF days. .  .