Catalina 2459 - PH-PBY to the USA!

[Joe Scheil]

The well known and superlative Foundation operating the historic PH-PBY is planning to fly her across the Atlantic this week, and has lots of information on the flight on their website. No operator has operated a PBY to this level in recent history, and their adherence to perfection has kept this aircraft in the best of condition. Their pleasure flights and water flying has set a standard for safety and excellence that is simply wonderful. Their operation and care taking of the aircraft has been superb.

https://catalina-pby.nl/en/

Catalina 2459 will be saying “see you later” to Europe tomorrow and will fly her first leg to Wick, Scotland. Follow the plane on Flightradar24 as PH-PBY!

[Invader26]

Collings Foundation scores again!

[David Legg]

Well Plane Sailing Air Displays Ltd will keep its Duxford-based Catalina flag flying in Europe as we have been doing since 1985

( www.catalina.org.uk )

Seriously, well done to the PH-PBY operators for their hard work over the years and good luck to the Collings Foundation.

[sandiego89]

Wow and quite a war record with this PBY with three submarine kills.

Imagine she will revert to USN scheme and get a front turret. Every PBY needs a turret (and blisters). Slick PBY's just don't look proper.....

[Joe Scheil]

Just landed Wick Scotland!

[Joe Scheil]

C-47 N150M just landed as well. Busy day in Wick...

[JohnTerrell]

Collings has stated that the PBY will be returned to original stock WWII configuration and the same paint scheme that it wore when it operated with VP-73 out of Iceland. The oldest flying PBY, and as mentioned, a few sunken U-Boats to its credit:

Consolidated PBY-5A PH-PBY s/n 300, was originally delivered to the U. S. Navy at Naval Air Station Norfolk (VA) as BuNo. 2459 on December 23, 1941. Assigned to VP-73, the aircraft was given the Squadron code 73-P-9. Five days after arriving, this aircraft along with four others were shipped to Iceland, arriving between January 12-16, 1942 at Fleet Air Base Reykjavik. On Febraury 1, 1942, 73-P-9 flew its first of many operational sorties consisting mainly of convoy escort and iceberg patrols in the area between Iceland and Greenland, known as the Denmark Straits. In August of 1942, the German Kriegsmarine submarines began in earnest attacking North Atlantic convoys in groups, known as ‘Wolfpacks”. The PBY’s on duty began flying “Hvalfjord Sweeps”, during which they were on the prowl for German submarines or surface vessels.

PBY 73-P-9 had her first success on August 20, 1942 while being flown by Lt. Robert B. Hopggod and crew while protecting British Task Force SN-73. The German sub tender U-Boat U-464 “Milchkuh” was spotted 175 NM south of Hofn, Iceland and attacked, causing lethal damage which necessitated scuttling by the crew. The second success for 73-P-9 was two months later, October 5, 1942, while under the command of Chief Pilot M. Luke and crew. Flying cover for convoy HX-209, U-Boat U582 was spotted 400 miles south of Iceland. A low-level attack was commenced on the surfaced U-Boat. Within seconds, the U-Boat disappeared and a large oil slick was observed. The aircraft then transferred to VP-84 and became 84-P-9. On April 28, 1943, while flown by Lt. Roy Neff and crew, they attacked U-Boat U-528, heavily damaging it and necessitating a return to France for repairs. However, en-route, the crippled sub was found by British Coastal Command and sunk. The final major action for 84-P-9 was June 24, 1943, while being flown by Lts. Joseph W. Beach and Albert M. Singluff. U-Boat U-200 was spotted and attacked. Dropping depth charges, they were unsuccessful in their first attempt. The crew of U-200 fiercely defended their boat with machine-gun fire, keeping the PBY at a distance. However, the crew on 84-P-9 had one last option, a “Fidol” homing torpedo. Within fifty seconds of the launch, U-200 was sunk. By the end of August 1943, 84-P-9 completed its last operational sortie and was flown to NAS Quonset Point where it became part of the inventory of Fleet Air Wing 7. In the months that followed, 84-P-9 served at NAS Anacostia, Gainesville, and Pensacola, finally ending up at Coast Guard Station Elizabeth City in May 1945. It was struck off charge on October 31, 1945.

Following WWII, PBY 84-P-9 became N18446 in September 1946 and was sold to Rio Ten Airways, who operated it for one year. It was then sold to California Maritime Airways in December 1947 and was operated by them until 1949. From there, the aircraft passed through numerous owners to include Aero Corp. of Atlanta, R. Paul Weesner & George Lewis, Paramount Aquarium of Miami, Indamer Corporation, and W. Clayton Lemon of Roanoke, Virginia. Lemon sold N18446 to Transair Ltd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in October 1953, where it became CF-HHR. Transair operated CF-HHR until 1969, when it was sold to Field Aviation of Calgary. The aircraft was converted to water bomber configuration and flew it as such until 1972 until purchased by Avalon Aviation Ltd., of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Avalon used the aircraft extensively, even sending it to Chile in 1975 to help fight the vast forest fires they were experiencing. In 1979, the aircraft was then stationed at Perry Sound, Ontario, Canada under the new Canadian registration C-FHHR as Tanker #3 and later as Tanker #793. It was removed from service in 1986 and stored, until purchased on February 28, 1995 by the Dutch Cat Air Foundation.

After purchase, C-FHHR was made ready for the ferry flight to the Netherlands. The water tanks were removed and replaced with sixteen passenger seats, eight in the front cabin and eight in the rear. The aircraft was repainted as Royal Netherlands Navy Y-74 in olive drab with orange triangle national insignias, as were carried during the Japanese invasion of the Netherland Indies in 1942. First flight was April 1, 1995. Starting May 9, 1995, the ferry flight commenced and after a refuel at North Weald in the U.K., C-FHHR arrived in Rotterdam. Total time for the trip was five days. Registration was once again changed to N27311, registered to Western Aviation Maintenance in Mesa, Arizona, but was still operated by Cat Air. Early in 1997, reservation was made for a Dutch registration, PH-PBY, and was granted on October 13 of the same year. By then, it was obvious that PH-PBY was in need of a full restoration. The Stichting Neptune Association, a volunteer organization based at Valkenburg NAS, offered to help. On May 11, 1999, PH-PBY touched down at this same station where PBY’s of the Royal Netherlands Navy were based during the 1950’s. There, SNA volunteers, supported by the RNN, managed to perform a complete restoration in four years. On August 4, 2004, PH-PBY made her first post-restoration flight now painted in post-war silver Netherlands Navy paint scheme carrying the code “16-218”. - Gert Jan Mentink (Dutch Aviation Society/Scramble)

[Joe Scheil]

Over the North Sea yesterday....beautiful day, and on the ground Wick, Scotland.

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[Joe Scheil]

Fuel and oil!

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[Lon Moer]

Already set-up for selling rides.

[Joe Scheil]

Leg two, Wick to Reykjavik! Complete. First flight here was exactly 100 years ago in Afro 504K H2545!

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[Joe Scheil]

Flight was an excellent one, with ground speed of close to 130kts last half of the leg. Large whales about 80 miles east of Iceland were in several places. A most beautiful country. Postflighting now...

Didn’t want to park on the old tarmac, but then again, this looks like the original (or it could be) military ramp. She was based here and did her part to protect the convoys. As we approached we memorialed that famous call “Sunk Sub Open Club!” She transmitted all those years ago.

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[David Legg]

Re the information posted in John Terrell's post above from Gert Jan Mentink (Dutch Aviation Society/Scramble), I have the following comments ...

The US Navy acceptance date was 15th November 1941
BuNo 2459 actually arrived in Iceland aboard the USS Albermarle on 9th January 1942
When with VP-84, I have it as 84-P-7, not 84-P-9
The reference to sinking U-200 should read U-194
Rio Ten Airways should read Ric Ter Airways
California Maritime Airways should read California Maritime Airlines
Perry Sound should read Parry Sound

[helinut]

Just a interesting side not the ACAM,s PBY ,was also owned by California Martime Airlines in about the same time period,and is the second oldest survivor ,it’s was also transferred to the Coast Guard after its Naval service.

Last edited by helinut on Thu May 30, 2019 10:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

[helinut]

Just a interesting side not the ACAM,s PBY ,was also owned by California Martime Airlines in about the same time period,and is the second oldest survivor ,it’s was also transferred to the Coast Guard after its Naval service.