Like many successful businessmen, New Zealander John Luff had to wait until later in life to have the time to follow his passion. He is now very probably the newest-rated pilot on the de Havilland Venom. A handful of the twin-boom jet fighters are still flying and Johns is the only example active in the southern hemisphere. The last air force to operate the Venom, the Swiss Flugwaffe, officially retired the type in October 1983 and in June the following year large numbers of them were offered to museums and private owners. Johns Venom had been licence-built in Switzerland in 1956 as reconnaissance-configured FB. 1R J-1630. Acquired by a Swiss-based group and registered as HB-RVA, it took to the air as a civilian in 1988. Although it had not flown for several years, when John inspected it in 2012 it was in good condition. John had it shipped out to New Zealand, much to the surprise of 'Kiwi' warbird fans who spotted the jet arriving at Ardmore, near Auckland. As with most projects, there were some setbacks to be resolved before it could fly. One of the main issues was the undercarriage, which required a total rebuild. Fortunately, the aircraft was in the capable hands of engineer Gerry Gaston who worked on similar RNZAF DH Vampires in the 1960s. Like the Vampire, the Venoms fuselage pod' is made of wood and plywood, in a similar manner to the Mosquito's.
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