Low-flying Catalina

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina PH-PBY (c/n 300) was built in 1941 and is the only flying Catalina on the European mainland.

Last Saturday I visited the last "open day" at Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service Station Valkenburg. I was the last chance to see a good selection of Maritime Patrol aircraft, because the Netherlands have sold their fleet of P-3CII Orions to Germany and Portugal
Apart from Orions, Atlantics and Nimrod there were several historical aircraft, including PBY-5A BuNo 2459. It was the first time I saw it in the metal, sadly not in the air because of strong winds. I learned she is the oldest PBY-5A still flying today, no mean feat for an aircraft seeing extensive war service patrolling and hunting for U-boats (credited with sinking three U-boats and damaging another) off Iceland, and fighting fires after WW2.
Although BuNo 2459 orginally did not serve with the Netherlands Navy, I think the scheme looks good on her and it seems she has found a worthy home in our skies.

H.

(Picture by Erik van Turennout)