The Niagara District Airport received a blast from the past last week when an old friend flew into town for a pit stop on its way to western New York.

A historic Tiger Moth biplane, a military training aircraft used during the Second World War, stopped by the airport on July 10, flown by pilot Danny Garyfalakis, who stopped to fuel up before heading to the Geneseo Air Show at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, N.Y.

“Tiger Moths are a significant part of our history,” said Dan Pilon, district airport CEO, in an emailed statement.

The Tiger Moths were flown by those part of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth forces during the Second World War.

From 1940 to 1944, the airport was home to the No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School, a military flight training facility where pilots completed their training in Tiger Moths before going on to serve in the war.

The plane is built from a blend of metal, wood, and fabric, and was a vital training aircraft, preparing thousands of aviators for service.

The district airport says Garyfalakis bought the plane more than a decade ago and, along with his two friends, spent 2,000 hours over two years restoring it to its former glory.

“For us, every time a Tiger Moth flies into Niagara District Airport, it’s a powerful reminder of that legacy — and honours the courageous pilots who trained here and went on to serve our country,” said Pilon.