My grandad volunteered for the RAF at the start of WW2 and spent 4 years in Burma being flown in Catalinas. One such flight he never forgot, where he recalled being held out by the ankles of an airborne Catalina, to remove the cover from the air speed sensor which was overlooked before take-off. Thanks for uploading this.
"In the event of a water landing.. this plane may be used as a flotation device". I love this plane. Kind of takes all the sting out of those fateful words... "We've lost power to both engines and are going to have to set down in the water". What a wonderful thing for you to share with us... thanks.
I was a passanger in one of this airplane. It was around 58 years ago. From Asunción del Paraguay to Rosario Argentina. So, Thank you for to get my memory still alive
It is so nice to get such great reactions to our video. Thanks! It was such a long time ago since we flew in it but it still seems like yesterday to us and we enjoyed it so much. A chance in a lifetime. We love hearing about other peoples experiences in such a wonderful plane.
I will never have the opportunity and flying on one of those. The closest I will come is this video that you made. Thank you for not ruining it with music. This boat is awesome. It’s saved so many pilots and so many sailors lives. It sucks so many Jeff subs a long range patrols. Do US military planners or unwise to get rid of this venerable plane. The older technologies are more valuable when you consider the vulnerabilities of the satellites. If you cannot rescue pilots and downed airmen very far away with the helicopterBut with this plane you can go thousands and thousands of miles
If I had enough money I would convert one into my Home and put better noise-reducing-sound-insulation. Ever since I saw one on an 80s TV show I've loved it! PBY Catalina: a wonderful plane! I would hop around the Cote Azure and around Mallorca/Menorca with my friends and my dame. Thanks. Oh...nice views of The Netherlands! Dank je wel voor dit video.
I used to fly with my friend in his 1963(?) single engine Piper cub, around the Portland Oregon area. We would often land at little grass runways, to check out the locals, get some fuel, or grab lunch, etc. One little field had a PBY sitting out in front of a hanger, so we walked over, and took a close look at her. She was in pristine condition, and other than one engine missing, looked like she had just rolled out of the factory door. A local wandered over, to say hi, and we found out that the second engine was at the shop going through a total restoration, all to original factory specs. I asked when it was going to fly again, and he told us that after being restored, it was going to be flown to some aeronautics museum, probably never to fly again. It was a beautiful, faithful restoration, but it seems like a crime not to fly her. He did mention that she might be flown at some vintage exhibitions, so hopefully that is what happened. That was back in the mid nineties, just thought I'd share. LOVED this video, great job!
Hi Barry, Thanks for sharing your story with us! The plane that my daughter and myself flew in is still been flown at some airshows in Europe. Kind regards, Mark
Wow so cool. When I was around her age, the coolest thing I won was a transistor radio :( Back then, seeing a PBY flying around wasn't all that rare. I haven't see one in years though. Never rode in one, but sure would love to.
Thank you and youtube for this wonderful video. The Catalina was a wonderful airplane. During World War II, many allied airmen and seamen owed their lives to this plane and the courageous men who flew them.
Very nostalgic clip! I had a ride in a Cat about 20 years ago when one visited the Bay of Islands airport at Kerikeri. Joyrides were offered to the public to help pay expenses. Once under way, we rotated seats so that each passenger experienced both a bubble and the flight deck - indeed an unforgettable day, as was yours, no doubt. Thanks for sharing. I had no camera so can't reciprocate!
Nice video. Good thing the water landing were touch and go's, as without the outriggers of the -5 model, it's kind of tough to keep here straight. I had the chance to witness a restoration project in San Juan back in the mid 90's. One of my favortite WWII airplanes.
Great video. My father used to fly in these from Botwood Newfoundland, Canada out over the cold Atlantic looking for German submarines during the Second World War. Once at cruising height they would go on the economy cruise and cold stay up for I think about 12 hours. Thanks for the video
Thank you so much for this video! My Grandad flew Catalinas during WW2 in the Indian Ocean with Squadron 259 & I have never seen what it looked like from his point of view... Wonderful! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Always wanted to fly in one. Knew a couple of WW2 Cat pilots who loved them. As a kid I passed the famous RAAF Black Squadron at Rathmines base near Newcastle NSW. They used to fly a round trip from Townsville (Queensland) to Manila each night. In 1942, QANTAS flew a weekly flight from Perth to Colombo which, depending on the conditions, took around 22 hours, was known as the double sunrise run.
What a thrill for you! I had the pleasure as a boy about 12, to go on a fishing expedition with my Father and Uncle. We Flew out of Lake Nippissing in a beaver float-plane to one of the smaller lakes along the French River. As it often happens in Northern Ontario summers, storms pop up out of nowhere which was the case on the day scheduled for our pick-up. The pilot told us he was very close to not coming as the lake was so rough, winds unpredictable and raining quite hard. However, we got loaded and aboard, then taxied across the lake to get downwind and to the widest part of the lake. This guy obviously knew what he was doing and had an Iron nerve as well. We start this take-off run with all the water you can imagine coming across the windscreen (rain, spray from the prop and floats) we are bouncing across the tops of the waves and everything is getting thoroughly rattled. All the while we are all watching the fast approaching other shore with its' wall of tree's. Then just as we are breaking the surface, the pilot aborts and we're back into the major bouncy- bouncy! The whole time this guy is cursing away like a lumberjack! and as we are again taxiing back across for a another run, my Dad asks what was wrong with that one, he said we would not have cleared the trees and he'd run again with a different flap setting to try and get more speed up which proved a success as we made it up but did not clear those trees by very much!!!
Bedankt! Nee hoor, het verveelt nooit. :-) Volgens de website staat ze er nog steeds, is er zelfs een heel rondvluchtenprogramma voor de komende maanden en komt ze ook naar de Texel Airshow op 28 juli 2012!
Une seule fois salut dans la cabine de catalina!✈⚓🌞🌠👠👠😁 Sentir cet triton de fer avec les moteurs envoler. En voyant des pilots conduissent cet bell amphibium splashing sur l'eau. Le paysage bas de moi et on reviendrait dans un temps passe.
Yes, my impression was that the engine noise in the blisters was much louder. I'm sure that if you sit there regularly, you need a good quality headset to protect your ears. The touch and goes (or 'splash and goes') were pretty smooth, considering the water caused a huge resistance every time the plane touched it. I was hoping that we could have a full stop in the water with the wing tip floats down, and then take off again, but unfortunately we didn't...
helaas is de Texel Airshow niet door gegaan, maar staat nog steeds in Lelystad in eigen hangaar(Roadrunnerweg; Catalina hangaar. De DDA heeft daar ook een stalling,DC-3"Amalia". naast website, heeft ook facebook
je zal er een beetje moe van worden misschien.. maar wat een geweldig filmpje en wat een geluk dat je dit mocht meemaken ;) all time favourite plane! Staat ze nog in Lelystad?
so when you are by the blisters is it much louder than the cockpit ? Would you be deaf after a while if you sat there as a regular routine you think ? What were the touch and goes like...does that hull slam pretty hard !?
Nice video but it would have been a lot better if the takeoff was done on the ground as it is rolling up and out on the runway. The props is what I love to hear especially from ground level and then it pulls up out of there.
Brilliant flying experience. What a shame the scenery was spoiled by those noisy, inefficient, view-ruining wind turbines. They burst into flames and suck birds in as well. It must be true because the newspaper said so!
Disappointing. Splash and go on flat water, No fun in that! WW2 pilots in the pacific surfed swells higher than the wings and dipped props in the water regularly and repeatedly rescuing downed pilots and shipwrecked sailors. Takeoff and landing on land totally unspectacular. It's a flying boat! On land it's just another old airplane.
Hmmm, so it's no fun on the water and just another airplane on the ground..? Maybe you'd better go for something more modern, like a 787 or later model B*ing. Have a Splash 'n' Go in that.... That would really be fun, methinks... BTW, what is she like in the air?
My grandad volunteered for the RAF at the start of WW2 and spent 4 years in Burma being flown in Catalinas.
One such flight he never forgot, where he recalled being held out by the ankles of an airborne Catalina, to remove the cover from the air speed sensor which was overlooked before take-off.
Thanks for uploading this.
"In the event of a water landing.. this plane may be used as a flotation device".
I love this plane. Kind of takes all the sting out of those fateful words... "We've lost power to both engines and are going to have to set down in the water".
What a wonderful thing for you to share with us... thanks.
I was a passanger in one of this airplane. It was around 58 years ago. From Asunción del Paraguay to Rosario Argentina. So, Thank you for to get my memory still alive
My Dad was a crewchief on PBY's in WWII. He always said how he loved them. Great old plane.
It is so nice to get such great reactions to our video. Thanks!
It was such a long time ago since we flew in it but it still seems like yesterday to us and we enjoyed it so much. A chance in a lifetime.
We love hearing about other peoples experiences in such a wonderful plane.
I will never have the opportunity and flying on one of those. The closest I will come is this video that you made. Thank you for not ruining it with music. This boat is awesome. It’s saved so many pilots and so many sailors lives. It sucks so many Jeff subs a long range patrols. Do US military planners or unwise to get rid of this venerable plane. The older technologies are more valuable when you consider the vulnerabilities of the satellites. If you cannot rescue pilots and downed airmen very far away with the helicopterBut with this plane you can go thousands and thousands of miles
Thank you, Jay!
Lucky you !!!!! There are only a few still around and even fewer flying & you had to go for a ride. Great video, post more....Please
If I had enough money I would convert one into my Home and put better noise-reducing-sound-insulation. Ever since I saw one on an 80s TV show I've loved it! PBY Catalina: a wonderful plane! I would hop around the Cote Azure and around Mallorca/Menorca with my friends and my dame. Thanks. Oh...nice views of The Netherlands! Dank je wel voor dit video.
The Catalina has to be my favourite fixed-wing aircraft of all. I'm quite envious of you. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent thought, getting in-flight footage of the engines from the gun-bubbles!
My favourite aircraft.. Always wanted to fly in one..you are sooo lucky..Thank you for posting.
One rare fun ride, lucky you! I had to hit "like" for this one! Thank you for posting!
I feel privileged to see this beautiful craft of engineering go through her paces. She has an honorable record of service in W.W. II.
Passenger planes should have blister windows like that. Also this has to be the quietest plane ever built. Love it!
I used to fly with my friend in his 1963(?) single engine Piper cub, around the Portland Oregon area. We would often land at little grass runways, to check out the locals, get some fuel, or grab lunch, etc. One little field had a PBY sitting out in front of a hanger, so we walked over, and took a close look at her. She was in pristine condition, and other than one engine missing, looked like she had just rolled out of the factory door. A local wandered over, to say hi, and we found out that the second engine was at the shop going through a total restoration, all to original factory specs. I asked when it was going to fly again, and he told us that after being restored, it was going to be flown to some aeronautics museum, probably never to fly again. It was a beautiful, faithful restoration, but it seems like a crime not to fly her. He did mention that she might be flown at some vintage exhibitions, so hopefully that is what happened. That was back in the mid nineties, just thought I'd share.
LOVED this video, great job!
Hi Barry,
Thanks for sharing your story with us!
The plane that my daughter and myself flew in is still been flown at some airshows in Europe.
Kind regards, Mark
WOW!! What a beautiful plane and GREAT video!! This has always been one of my favorite planes. Thanks for sharing.
Wow so cool. When I was around her age, the coolest thing I won was a transistor radio :(
Back then, seeing a PBY flying around wasn't all that rare. I haven't see one in years though. Never rode in one, but sure would love to.
Thank you and youtube for this wonderful video. The Catalina was a wonderful airplane. During World War II, many allied airmen and seamen owed their lives to this plane and the courageous men who flew them.
I never knew there where airplanes name catalina
What a beautiful place to live :) Pretty village... lucky you for the contest win. Thanks for sharing =D
Very nostalgic clip! I had a ride in a Cat about 20 years ago when one visited the Bay of Islands airport at Kerikeri. Joyrides were offered to the public to help pay expenses. Once under way, we rotated seats so that each passenger experienced both a bubble and the flight deck - indeed an unforgettable day, as was yours, no doubt. Thanks for sharing. I had no camera so can't reciprocate!
Nice video. Good thing the water landing were touch and go's, as without the outriggers of the -5 model, it's kind of tough to keep here straight. I had the chance to witness a restoration project in San Juan back in the mid 90's. One of my favortite WWII airplanes.
Great video. My father used to fly in these from Botwood Newfoundland, Canada out over the cold Atlantic looking for German submarines during the Second World War. Once at cruising height they would go on the economy cruise and cold stay up for I think about 12 hours. Thanks for the video
Thank you so much for this video! My Grandad flew Catalinas during WW2 in the Indian Ocean with Squadron 259 & I have never seen what it looked like from his point of view... Wonderful! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Hello Liz, thank you for sharing your story!
Mine did as well in the 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron. They were based in the Fiji Islands and New Guinea though.
Always wanted to fly in one. Knew a couple of WW2 Cat pilots who loved them. As a kid I passed the famous RAAF Black Squadron at Rathmines base near Newcastle NSW. They used to fly a round trip from Townsville (Queensland) to Manila each night. In 1942, QANTAS flew a weekly flight from Perth to Colombo which, depending on the conditions, took around 22 hours, was known as the double sunrise run.
Hi Alan, thanks for sharing this information! Kind regards, Mark
What a thrill for you! I had the pleasure as a boy about 12, to go on a fishing expedition with my Father and Uncle. We Flew out of Lake Nippissing in a beaver float-plane to one of the smaller lakes along the French River. As it often happens in Northern Ontario summers, storms pop up out of nowhere which was the case on the day scheduled for our pick-up. The pilot told us he was very close to not coming as the lake was so rough, winds unpredictable and raining quite hard. However, we got loaded and aboard, then taxied across the lake to get downwind and to the widest part of the lake.
This guy obviously knew what he was doing and had an Iron nerve as well. We start this take-off run with all the water you can imagine coming across the windscreen (rain, spray from the prop and floats) we are bouncing across the tops of the waves and everything is getting thoroughly rattled. All the while we are all watching the fast approaching other shore with its' wall of tree's. Then just as we are breaking the surface, the pilot aborts and we're back into the major bouncy- bouncy!
The whole time this guy is cursing away like a lumberjack! and as we are again taxiing back across for a another run, my Dad asks what was wrong with that one, he said we would not have cleared the trees and he'd run again with a different flap setting to try and get more speed up which proved a success as we made it up but did not clear those trees by very much!!!
Great video and aircraft thank you!
A great video and an exceptional aircraft.
@LarsAlaska You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
@dattomact the gun bubbles weren't always gun bubbles. They used them for search and rescue before they realized pby+bombs+guns=no u-boats!!!!
One pilot to the other: "Hey, see that kayak down there? Lets scare him!"
Bedankt! Nee hoor, het verveelt nooit. :-)
Volgens de website staat ze er nog steeds, is er zelfs een heel rondvluchtenprogramma voor de komende maanden en komt ze ook naar de Texel Airshow op 28 juli 2012!
Thank you for this flight.
@wn6904k Thanks! I intend to post more videos this year.
Amazing vintage plane .history.
Didn't Jacqueline do well. Great video of a great aircraft at work. Thanks for sharing.
This kind of plane found alot of floating people in the big war. Nice video. Who could dislike this? Go figure.
Une seule fois salut dans la cabine de catalina!✈⚓🌞🌠👠👠😁 Sentir cet triton de fer avec les moteurs envoler. En voyant des pilots conduissent cet bell amphibium splashing sur l'eau. Le paysage bas de moi et on reviendrait dans un temps passe.
Yes, my impression was that the engine noise in the blisters was much louder. I'm sure that if you sit there regularly, you need a good quality headset to protect your ears.
The touch and goes (or 'splash and goes') were pretty smooth, considering the water caused a huge resistance every time the plane touched it. I was hoping that we could have a full stop in the water with the wing tip floats down, and then take off again, but unfortunately we didn't...
Para ser un avion tan viejo ,me gusta lo bien mantenido que esta
VERY NICE VIDEO... and I'm almost done with my 1800mm model.
Thanks!
Thank you for your message and for hitting the "like" button! :-)
I know that we were very lucky!
Damn- I didn't realize how thin the hull was! O_o; Must be noisy as hell in there in-flight... Regardless, what a treat!
I would hit the "like" again if I could..lol Have a great summer!
Very good recording - thanks!
Thank you, Gordon.
Fantastic.
a lovely airplane in perfect shape!
Does one have to take turns to sit(kneel) in the blisters? I guess so.
I will, hopefully, fly in September.
@minder2856 Thanks for the update!
You're welcome! I'm glad you've enjoyed it!
Thanks...Fun to watch!
helaas is de Texel Airshow niet door gegaan, maar staat nog steeds in Lelystad in eigen hangaar(Roadrunnerweg; Catalina hangaar. De DDA heeft daar ook een stalling,DC-3"Amalia".
naast website, heeft ook facebook
she will fly at early 2012 at Lelystad/Ijsselmeer Holland
je zal er een beetje moe van worden misschien.. maar wat een geweldig filmpje en wat een geluk dat je dit mocht meemaken ;) all time favourite plane! Staat ze nog in Lelystad?
I find the Catalina to be the most beautiful plane ever built ,,, and I don't know why hahahahah ,,
Nice if you could have focused on something for more than a half second. And maybe something other than random body parts and random aircraft parts.
Outstanding.!
so when you are by the blisters is it much louder than the cockpit ? Would you be deaf after a while if you sat there as a regular routine you think ? What were the touch and goes like...does that hull slam pretty hard !?
What fun to fly in a plane of the past. Shalom
There were flying boats stationed out at Adak Island back in the early 50's as patrol by Russian Islands. Shalom
I love ww2 planes me and my friend are saving up the money to buy the pby 5a catalina
Whatever you paid for that ride was well worth it!
Nice video but it would have been a lot better if the takeoff was done on the ground as it is rolling up and out on the runway.
The props is what I love to hear especially from ground level and then it pulls up out of there.
I am sooo jealous!
Any chance that she might be allowed to fly again?
good vd and congratulations !!!!!!!!!!!
Way cool!
Flew over my house about 10 days ago, accompanied by a large helicopter ( a Eurocopter?)
A tremendous airplane.
Why not make them again??
too cool....well thanks for the post...flew in a b17 once....loved it would love to fly in a pby !!!!!1 thanks ,,,garve
what an envy!!!
Muito bonito!!
Muito obrigado!
General information: You can boarding at catalina-pby.nl
how much is a ride thanks
i love this plane
"Luckily for me, she had to be accompanied by an adult"
.
WIN!
É o transporte ideal para o estado do Amazonas, Br.
Отдал бы все за такой полет!!!
Would have given anything for such a flight!
Machtig, dat wil ik ook!!!
I wanna go so bad . . .
what a elegant lady .Its got to be my favourite !!
clutterman
かっこええなぁ。新明和が現在の技術で再生産して小笠原へ飛ばして欲しい。
Here's the plane that found the Bismarck in World War II after the British ships following the Bismarck lost it.
Brilliant flying experience. What a shame the scenery was spoiled by those noisy, inefficient, view-ruining wind turbines. They burst into flames and suck birds in as well. It must be true because the newspaper said so!
I am extremely jealous.
Dream on.
like its reason can go to wet and dry airport but no disable or not allow. from tjb p.s play it,uncle sam
800 silver lions
@PSNgregiskool
My name is catalina lol
nice to meet you catalina :P
my name is Stephan
Disappointing. Splash and go on flat water, No fun in that! WW2 pilots in the pacific surfed swells higher than the wings and dipped props in the water regularly and repeatedly rescuing downed pilots and shipwrecked sailors. Takeoff and landing on land totally unspectacular. It's a flying boat! On land it's just another old airplane.
Hmmm, so it's no fun on the water and just another airplane on the ground..?
Maybe you'd better go for something more modern, like a 787 or later model B*ing. Have a Splash 'n' Go in that.... That would really be fun, methinks...
BTW, what is she like in the air?
War is no fun. This is not war henceforth the fun.
The Catalina will never be just another old airplane