Plane Sailing Catalina

2010/2011 Winter
Maintenance
Hangar 2/North

(Click thumbnail for larger image. Click top right of image to close.)

CANADIAN VICKERS Ltd PBY-5A (CANSO)/Ser No. CV283/RCAF11005/G-PBYA

OCT 1943 – Delivered to Royal Canadian Air Force. Flown with No.9 (BR) Sqn, No.413 Sqn and No.121 Search & Rescue Flight, Vancouver. Withdrawn from Military Service in 1959 and struck off charge May 1961.
MAY 1961 – Sold to Frontier Air Transport for use by CANSPEC as a water bomber.
1963 – Having been converted to a water bomber, it was acquired by Kenting Aviation Ltd, Toronto and registered CF-NJF.
MAY 1966/NOV 1966 – Leased to Protection Civile, Marseilles, France and registered as F-ZBAY.
NOV 1966 – Returned to Canada and re-registered as CF-NJF.
MAY 1968/SEPT 1968 - Leased to Protection Civile, Marseilles, France and registered as F-ZBBD.
SEP 1968 – Returned to Canada and re-registered as CF-NJF.
APR 1974/1979 – Acquired by Norcanair Ltd, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and registered as C-FNJF with a hull code of ‘14’ in water bomber use.
JUN 1980/1991 – Acquired by the Province of Saskatchewan Fire Fighting Service, La Ronge and flown as water bomber No. ‘7’.
1992? – Acquired by Aero Service Ltd, Nanaimo Airport, Vancouver Island. Interior stripped of fire bombing equipment and replaced with internal fittings suitable for passenger charter work, air stair and panoramic view blisters. Put up for sale late 1999.
AUG 2002 – Purchased by the Catalina Aircraft Ltd, Duxford and ferried to its new base in Cambridgeshire in March 2004 and registered as G-PBYA.