PBY-5A being rebuilt for unique mission Famed oceanographic researcher Robert Ballard (of Titanic fame) has been undertaking extensive exploration regarding the ever-intriguing disappear' ance of aviators Amelia Earhart.

PBY-5A being rebuilt for unique mission

Famed oceanographic researcher Robert Ballard (of Titanic fame) has been undertaking extensive exploration regarding the ever-intriguing disappear' ance of aviators Amelia Earhart, Fr Noonan, and their Lockheed 10 during an around-the-world flight. While details are still clandestine Ballard and his team have apparently construct a very positive reading forward what could be the remains of the Lockheed forward the ocean floor "somewhere opposite Howland island." Could one of the last great aviation mysteries he solved?

Well, we will probably know sometime this year. At Greybull Wyoming, work is ncaring completion forward the rebuild of Consolidated PBY-5A N314CF which is acknowledgeed by one of Ballard's partners and will be the principal aircraft in the final chase for Amelia (a USN PBY did participate in the initial search for the missing Lockheed).

This aircraft is interesting in that it is undivided of the last surviving Royal Canadian Air Force Canso As (the Commonwealth name for the Catalina) built through Consolidated rather than those in subordination to license from Canadian Vickers or Canadair. The Canso was delivered to the RCAF onward 13 January 1942 and operated until February 1946 at which time, along with numerous other Cansos, it was declared surplus to privations and struck from service. During its military career, RCAF 9750 flew with No. 116 (BR) Squadron which was formed in June 1941 and operated until it disbanded in June 1945 During this time period, the unit operated from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Botwood Shelboume; Gander; and Sydney

With Canso/Catalina airframes in demand in the post-war surplus market, RCAF 9750 became CF-DIL upon the Canadian civil register. Not a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of information survives on its early civil career on the contrary the plane was converted as an airliner and it later operated with Wheeler Airlines, Wheeler Northland Airlines, and Ilford Riverton Airways. single in kind bit of information that does survive is that the aircraft received substantial damage in succession 17 July 1958 during landing at Ungava, Quebec. However, there were no injuries and the Canso was repaired.

By 1974 the amphibian was being operated according to Can-Air in Vancouver who also operated couple other Catalinas and used them for hauling fishing parties to foreign areas of British Columbia with CF-DIL becoming Fisherman's Special. Strangely, in 1983 the plane was sold to assume a recently made known career - that of a fire bomber. through this time, many Catalinas had been phased not at home of that mission but CF-DIL became part of the Flying Fireman of Victoria, British Columbia. Suitably modified, the craft became Tanker 5 which was later changed to Tanker 775 In 1988 the company became A forest Air.

With the Catalina navy in Canada growing decidedly extended in the tooth, Awood retired Tanker 775 unless its career was long from above The plane made the epic journey east across the Atlantic to Spain where it went forward contract with ICONA under the auspices of recent owner SAE.SA. In April 1993 the craft assumed the Spanish civil registration EC-PRO after flying in the temporary markings of EC-313

The fire homber erect its main hasc at Cuatro Vientos and still wore its basic Flying Fireman's r and white color scheme. The aircraft did not diocese a lot of operation and in October 1996 EC-FRG was sold to Al Hansen of Mojavc, California. Carrying the just discovered registration of N314CF, Al and his crowd completed the epic ferry flight to Mojave where he painted the amphibian in pre-war US Navy markings. At the time, Al capered to replace the long-gone fuselage blisters along with other military equipment.

The plane still retained its fire-bombing equipment and in 1999 there was more [i]or[/i] less discussion with John Wells about operating the Catalina with his Airborne Fire Attack company yet this did not come to fruition. Another interesting idea came up when discussions were held to use N314CF in an epic expedition to find the wreckage of Russian Sigismund Lavanevski's long-range N-209 which disappeared onward a flight from Moscow to Fairbanks in August 1937 It is notion that the aircraft went down in the vicinity of Camden Ray which is west of Kaktovik, Alaska. During the original search fur the missing Russian, the famous PBY flying hoat Guba was utilized in the search. Although the modem search did not arrive about, Al and his band did take the Cat north for the Wings from one side of to the other Alaska Commemorative Flight which celebrated the extensive use of the PBY in that State.

Placed for sale, the aircraft was sold to Ballard's partner and then ferried to Hawkins & Powers in Greybull Initially, basic maintenance work and the addition of a state-of-the-art avionics panel was to be undertaken in this way the aircraft could fly onward to Howland Island for the expedition. However, with arrival, an examination revealed the Catalina to be in extremely poor condition and a replete rebuild was launched which is including the addition of the original fuselage blisters. Watch for further updates upon this most interesting of projects

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