Catalina G-PBYA overflying Dover today?
- 21 August 2013 13:54241437According to their schedule, Duxford's Catalina should be flying over Dover between 14:23 and 15:10 prior to doing an air display over Ramsgate.
This August marks the 100th Anniversary of the Circuit of Britain Race, a challenge sponsored by The Daily Mail, for the first pilot to fly around Britain in a waterplane. Of the four pilots who entered the race, Harry Hawker, an Australian, was the most successful. Not only was he the only entrant to start the race, he flew over 1000 miles of the 1540 mile race before crashing just north of Dublin. This was the longest distance flown over water at the time.
To commemorate Harry Hawker's heroic flight, the oldest airworthy amphibian still flying in the UK, the IWM Duxford based Catalina G-PBYA plans to complete the same circuit. The plane and crew will, as closely as possible, follow the 1913 route over a five day historic flight. The 2013 Circuit of Britain challenge is being mounted by Catalina Pilot Jeff Boyling who, like Harry Hawker, was born in Australia and shares a passion for aeronautical adventure.
from http://projecthawker2013.com/
Live tracking is here: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0zhOZjkaA5JEPm8R6r67XzBqVbbHgnvEVDover and Cinque Ports Life Magazines are on Facebook www.facebook.com/DoverandCinquePortsLife - Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,321
21 August 2013 14:04241438Even planes have personalized "number plates".
I liked the helicopter filming Michael Portillo, G-HDEF.
TerryQuis custodiet ipsos custodes? - 21 August 2013 14:19241439The Ausies like their flying machines...
http://aarg.com.au/Catalina.htm
I was looking for the story of an early London to Sydney race. A plane which had lost its bearings was circling above heavy clouds. The noise of the plane attracted the attention of an enthusiast on the ground who guessed what was going on, he then contacted the local Mayor who had all the street-lights lit and all the cars arranged to mark out a runway with their head lamps.
I'm pretty sure the plane is still kept in a hanger in the small town, but no luck so far in rediscovering the tale.Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing. - 21 August 2013 14:30241440And there she goes, very sedate. Great to see one flying...Dover and Cinque Ports Life Magazines are on Facebook www.facebook.com/DoverandCinquePortsLife
- 21 August 2013 15:05241443And very much in the same tone...
Movietone news of the 1934 Race;London to Melbourne...
[URL][/URL]
The town I mention in #3 was Albury NSWIgnorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing. - 21 August 2013 15:08241444Ahem...what a thing the memory is...
"n 1934 a Dutch KLM DC-2 airliner (the "Uiver"), a competitor in the London to Melbourne Air Race, made an emergency night landing at the town's race-track after becoming lost during severe thunderstorms. After signalling by Morse code A-L-B-U-R-Y to the lost aircrew by using the entire town's public lighting system, the "Uiver" was guided in to land safely. The makeshift runway at the race-track was illuminated by the headlights of cars belonging to local residents who had responded to a special news bulletin on ABC Radio 2CO. After refuelling the next day, many local volunteers helped pull the stranded aircraft out of the race-track's mud and the aircraft was able to take off and continue to Melbourne where it won first prize in the MacRobertson London to Melbourne Air Race."
http://www.albury.in-australia.net/Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing. - 24 August 2013 00:04241748Catalina G-PBYA was at the Manston Airshow and my granddaughter and I had the pleasure of clambering around inside.
The British registration G-PBYA incorporates the US Navy designation PBY standing for Patrol - Bomber - Consolidated (the manufacturer).
- 24 August 2013 07:32241753Its a beautiful aircraft -
I would love to do a 32 scale model of one.....
It would be big though!! - Andy B
- Location: dover
- Registered: 10 Nov 2012
- Posts: 1,829
24 August 2013 09:06241760Saw the Catalina doing a flying display at Broadstairs water gala on wednesday.
