N31RB is a 1976 Grumman American AA5B Tiger S/N 0156. It spent the first 14 years of its life in California before coming to the UK. It was flown across the Atlantic in 1990 by its then owner Pat Thomas. For this trip the aircraft had installed a 20 Gallon ferry tank. Pat was retired from the US Air force, but his wife still worked for them and had been posted to Mildenhall hence the reason for the ferry fight. Whilst in the UK Pat was the CFI at the Lakenheath Aero Club, but security precluded Pat from basing N31RB there, instead being based at near by Shipdham Airfield.

When time came for Pat to return to the US he decided not to ferry it back, once was enough he said, so put it up for sale. Having attended a number of Grumman Club fly ins whilst in the UK the plane had become fairly well known as a well maintained aircraft. Long time Grumman flyer Geoff Duquemin from Guernsey was looking at trading up from his AA5 Traveler G-BCEF about the same time so a deal was struck.

Whilst in Geoff's ownership the plane was well cared for and a number of improvements carried out. New plastic interior was fitted to the canopy as was the fitting of the Red Rudder Cap STC. Unfortunately after only two years of enjoyable flying 31RB Geoff suffered a medical problem which although minor in nature precluded him from retaining his Pilots Medical. Geoff decided to sell the aircraft and being long time friends of the Echo Echo Group gave us first refusal. At about the same time EE Group's AA5 G-BCEE was nearing 2000hrs on its engine and consideration was being given to overhauling it to 160hp. The offer of a Tiger, with its much improved performance, over the Traveler took no thinking about so in Oct 2000 we became the proud owner of N31RB.