How to Start a 107-Year-Old WW1 Warbird

A video captures a rare and striking moment in aviation history as an Airco DH.9 bomber is brought to life using a Hucks starter, a ground vehicle once essential for starting large First World War aircraft engines. The scene offers a window into how early military aviation actually operated, long before electric starters and modern cockpit systems.

In the footage, a small crew carefully moves the Hucks starter into position in front of the DH.9. The vehicle is then connected to the aircraft’s engine, allowing the crew to spin it externally. The first few attempts are rough and clanky, with the engine refusing to fully catch. The crew tries again and again, and on the fourth attempt, the engine finally fires and begins to run properly.

The aircraft looked amazing silhouetted against the sunset, its engine settling into a steady rhythm. The sound and motion make clear just how mechanical and hands-on early aircraft operations were.

The plane, an Airco DH.9 serial E8894, registered as G-CDLI, is a genuine First World War combat veteran. At 107 years old, it is the world’s oldest flying ex-military aircraft and the only surviving First World War bomber still flying anywhere in the world.

Seeing this aircraft started and running is more than a technical demonstration. It is a living reminder of the men who flew and maintained these machines during the First World War, when reliability was uncertain and every flight carried real risk!