Catalina's and other Flying boats.

Years ago there was a Fairmile at Airlie Beach which had landing gear from a Catalina fitted to the hull. the wheels would be lowered down and the whole boat pulled up out of the water. From memory it was about 70 feet long. Could be wrong.

No that was a complete Catalina hull. It was still there in the 80's. 

I do think one of the Whitsunday tour boats may have been a Fairmile

All over black painted Catalinas near the main base at Bowen in Queensland. They ranged through the islands as far as Singapore dropping mines and harassment bombing. Naturally their huge endurance made them perfect for long range patrolling and rescues at sea or off remote beaches. QANTAS had a couple they used for the "Double Sunrise" flights from Perth to Columbo. 24 hours for essential personnel and mail.

 

Here is a beaut article on Catalina houseboats

www.ruudleeuw.com/search113.htm


The most interesting one has been turned into a Murray Paddle-wheeler.


 

There have been a few in Australia as well as the Shute Harbour one. Also there is one on the Murray (now at Lake Boga) not a Catalina but a Dornier flying boat.

 


 



 

From June 1943 to July 1945, Qantas operated Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats on the "Double Sunrise" route, a 5,600+ km non-stop service between Perth and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). As the longest, longest-duration (28-33 hours) commercial flight, it connected Australia to the UK during WWII. Passengers were awarded "The Rare and Secret Order of the Double Sunrise" certificate.
Key Details of Qantas Catalinas:
The "Double Sunrise": Flights were so long that passengers witnessed two sunrises, flying in radio silence to avoid detection by Japanese forces.
Vital Wartime Link: The route kept communication lines open after Singapore fell, with the aircraft carrying passengers and diplomatic mail.
Aircraft Details: These were twin-engined, high-winged monoplane flying boats. Later, Qantas used them for, among other things, the first, and only, regular air service to Australia across the Indian Ocean between Ceylon and Perth.
Legacy: A restored Catalina is on display at the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach, celebrating this era.
The Catalina flights were critical to Australia's defense and maintained a vital, though perilous, connection during the war.

Post war they operated Catalinas in northern Australia and Pacific Islands

 


 

!n the late 1950' s there was  a concrete ramp at the flying boat station just east of the port at Auckland, New Zealand. Catalinas and, I think, "Short" Sunderlands flew a a scheduled service from there to the Pacific Islands. The flying boats powered themselves out of the bay and up the ramp.

 

 


 

 

 


And finally a great short clip of leaving Rose Bay in Sydney.

www.facebook.com/watch/?v=311970871755574





 

The great era of flying boats was during the 1930's. Their biggest problem was not flying but more than half were either sunk at their moorings or blown ashore while anchored in unprotected harbours during storms.

The Americand had their fabulous Clippers on the California-Hawaii-Japan run.

 

The Germans had the biggest (apart from Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose) The Dornier DOX. The mechanics could crawl through the wing and up into the engine pylons to do servicing in the air'

 

 

And finally the peak event! Italian General Balbo took an entire fleet of  Sia-Marchettis firstly to South America followed by an extravaganza to USA - the greatest seaplane expedition of all time. They all made it across the Atlantic and back.
 

Here they are parked in Chicago for the world's Fair.


 



 

The various Clippers Pan Am (and other airlines) had during the 30's and 40's on trans-oceanic flights.

 

 

 

Even the movies got involved.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers arrived in Rio by flying boat before embarking on a ridiculous song and dance musical "Flying Down to Rio"

 

 

 

 

The Catalina that was at Essendon airport , it used to fly over us. It was used for geo research or something similar in the 1970s or 80s. 

Thanks Lang. It's been years since I was up there and as I said, could be wrong, again. Dam!! Two different boats, but in the same place. Doesn't take much to confuse me nowadays.