USNR Catalina usage

dusttinbound · **Posted:** Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:47 pm

Quick question for everyone. I know that after WWII the Navy moved some of the PBY's to Naval Air Stations across the nation. Obvious NAS near bodies of water would make sense. However, I have seen one photograph of a PBY at NAS Olathe in Kansas and some aerial photographs that show PBY's on the ramp. Were these transients or actually based at NAS Olathe?

Kevin

David Legg · **Joined:** Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:07 pm **Posts:** 334

Naval Reserve unit VP-915 at NAS Olathe had at least seven PBY-5As on strength at various times post-war. Given the Catalina's range and capabilities, being near water was not an issue.

sandiego89 · **Joined:** Mon May 21, 2012 12:28 pm **Posts:** 1161

Never knew any were stationed in the heartland. Interesting. While I get that an amphibian can be based anywhere, Kansas seems along way from the normal PBY op areas. OK for pattern work and reserve proficiency, but not so much for the overwater patrol mission and those skills, and given the cruise speed of the PBY, that would make for a long cross county to make it to the closest salt water!

David Legg · **Joined:** Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:07 pm **Posts:** 334

sandiego89 wrote:

Never knew any were stationed in the heartland. Interesting. While I get that an amphibian can be based anywhere, Kansas seems along way from the normal PBY op areas. OK for pattern work and reserve proficiency, but not so much for the overwater patrol mission and those skills, and given the cruise speed of the PBY, that would make for a long cross county to make it to the closest salt water!

You and Dustin make good points about 'land locked' US Navy reserve bases hosting Catalinas but Olathe was not unique - other random examples were Memphis and St Louis.

dusttinbound · **Posted:** Tue Mar 31, 2020 10:46 pm

David Legg wrote:

Naval Reserve unit VP-915 at NAS Olathe had at least seven PBY-5As on strength at various times post-war. Given the Catalina's range and capabilities, being near water was not an issue.

Thanks David. I figured it might be one of the VP units that would have had them just thought it was unusual that PBY's were based there.

Kevin

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2537

If accurate, it looks like VP-915 was only around approx. 5 months in the immediate post-war era.
http://www.vpnavy.com/vp915.html

Kyleb · **Posted:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:29 am

Something else to think about could be the need for bases with type familiarity and spares in "flyover country" to make it easier to shift aircraft from coast to coast.

David Legg · **Joined:** Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:07 pm **Posts:** 334

mike furline wrote:

If accurate, it looks like VP-915 was only around approx. 5 months in the immediate post-war era.
http://www.vpnavy.com/vp915.html

Hi Mike - I picked three of the PBY-5As that were at NAS Olathe at random to see what their aircraft record cards recorded. The earliest date present out of those three was BuNo 08123 which went to Olathe in Apr46 and remained there until Oct47. Part of the time it was with NART and part of the time in the available 'pool' of aircraft. The latest date at Olathe out of the three was BuNo 48263 which was with NART Olathe between Jul48 and Aug48. The VP Navy website would suggest that VP-915 was only active for part of the time between those 1946 and 1948 dates.

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Wed Apr 01, 2020 3:40 pm

David Legg wrote:

You and Dustin make good points about 'land locked' US Navy reserve bases hosting Catalinas but Olathe was not unique - other random examples were Memphis and St Louis.

Did the NAS Memphis and St. Louis planes ever operate in the Mississippi River for training/rescue/etc.? I know the Catalinas at Glenview did some SAR over Lake Michigan.

CoastieJohn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:37 pm **Posts:** 1380

CGAS Traverse City (Michigan) had PBY's for a bit.

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