The de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk EI-HFB began its flying life as Royal Air Force aircraft WD.305, a Chipmunk T.10 built by the de Havilland Company in the United Kingdom. Constructed under manufacturer’s serial number C1/0247, the aircraft was delivered to the RAF in 1951, where it served as a primary trainer during the post-war expansion of military aviation. Over the course of its RAF career, WD.305 accumulated more than 4,500 flying hours, training generations of pilots and contributing to the development of modern military flight operations.

In 1962, following its retirement from military service, the aircraft was converted for civilian use and placed on the UK civil register as G-ARGG. Operated by Air Navigation & Trading Co. Ltd in Blackpool, the Chipmunk continued its active flying career, accumulating a further 6,000 flight hours. With the exception of a period between 1977 and 1987, the aircraft was flown regularly, a testament to the Chipmunk’s robust design and enduring reliability as a training and touring aircraft.

In 1987, G-ARGG entered private ownership and underwent refurbishment, including being re-covered in Ceconite fabric, ensuring its continued airworthiness and longevity. The aircraft remained in civilian operation before transferring to the Irish civil register and joining the Irish Historic Flight Foundation in May 2015, becoming EI-HFB. Today, operated in authentic Irish Air Corps markings, EI-HFB forms a key part of IHFF’s flying fleet—preserving a living connection between post-war military training, civilian aviation, and Ireland’s aviation heritage through public flying displays and community events.