QUIZ: What is the story on this PBY?

[Jerry O'Neill]

See if anyone can give me the story on this photo of a burning PBY.
Good luck!
Jerry

[Myles]

Is this a scene from the movie, "Steelyard Blues", starring, Donald Sutherland, Peter Boyle, and Jane Fonda where they escape the feds on horseback? Filmed at KSTS (Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa, CA , 1973)

Jim

[Steve S]

After all the work to restore it and the cops closing in they realized they couldn't take off so they burned it and rode away on horseback.

Haven't seen this movie in like 20 years- anyone know if it is available on DVD

[rreis]

shot0015 by rreis, on Flickr


great flick!

[Myles]

The DVD is available through Amazon on the WIX link.

Jim

[Jerry O'Neill]

Well that was quick!!!!
I thought it might take a while. I should've known better!

Does anyone know the history of the PBY's in the film?

[SaxMan]

Is it just me, or does it look like it says "OBAMA" on the tail fin of the burning PBY?

[bdk]

After all the work to restore it and the cops closing in they realized they couldn't take off so they burned it and rode away on horseback.

I would have expected Jane Fonda to do that to a PBY...

[WallyB]

Is it just me, or does it look like it says "OBAMA" on the tail fin of the burning PBY?

It's just you .

I think it's the vestiges of a civil registration, Canada or possibly Chile. Can't quite make it out and the couple of guesses I made at it didn't turn up anything on the google.

[Cessna172RG]

Is it just me, or does it look like it says "OBAMA" on the tail fin of the burning PBY?

It's just you .

I think it's the vestiges of a civil registration, Canada or possibly Chile. Can't quite make it out and the couple of guesses I made at it didn't turn up anything on the google.

Canadian I guess, by 1973 only one Chilean Catalina was in service, the other was stored and three more arrived in the country later.

[WallyB]

Found it .

PBY-5A/BuNo. 48281
Bureau #: 48281
Construction #: 1643
Civilian Registration:
N1540M
CF-IHJ
N68623

You can see the tail in this shot: http://www.airliners.net/photo/1006399/M/ , pretty clear it's the same one.
One of a number of airframes acquired by Steward-Davies for conversion (to what I don't know).
Reported 'derelict' LGB in 1968 and 'scrapped' in 1970 which seems premature if it appeared in the film. Certainly scrapped afterward though !

[Dan Jones]

"Hanoi Jane" torched a PBY?!? What the hell is wrong with people?

Dan

[Chris Brame]

Consider the fate of several other Steward-Davis Catalinas... this one must have been skipped over for Tora! Tora! Tora! because it was lacking the turrets.

[Fouga23]

Such a shame

[Jerry O'Neill]

Is the PBY in the hangar photo a different one than the burning PBY?
I think they are but I'm wondering what's it's ID might be.
Jerry