Catalina VH-CAT made it to Oz

Hi David,

Thanks for the additional background on N68756, sorry to hear that it is now in storage (Texas is not too far a drive- perhaps I can get that photo I missed out on as a teenager….).

The ditching of N5404J was most unfortunate, can’t imagine what it must have been like for those involved to acquire the Catelina only to have that happen. Kinda reminds me of the B-29 Kee-Bird that was almost recovered from Greenland.

The Catalina you mention that was in Australia was the Confederate Air Force example N68756. The RSL Building Society were one of several sponsors for the trip to Australia or during its time there. It made it back to Harlingen, Tx. but had various engine problems subsequently and in the end lasped into disuse and after various moves and misfortunes was saved from the scrapper by an Australian Mark Pilkington. It is currently stored for him on a farm at Midland, Tx.

The machine being ferried to NZ was N5404J and it suffered an engine failure between Hawaii and Tahiti, 16/1/1994. The prop could not be feathered and it eventually came down on the Pacific at night – the crew all got away OK but the hull was damaged and the Catalina sank. Its place in NZ was taken by Z-CAT which became ZK-PBY and is still extant and airworthy, based at Auckland

Thats great to hear that it made it to Oz. I remember going for a flight in a Catalina that was touring Australia around 1980 promoting a building society (RSL?). Wish I had taken a photograph of it. I hadn’t realized then how historic an aircraft it was that I was flying in.

Does anyone recall the Catalina which was being ferried to NZ(?) and sunk? That was sad to hear about.