HARS Catalina Flight Home 9-23 September 2003

The HARS team led by Captain Bruce Simpson is currently flying the Catalina from Arcachon, France to Australia. The aircraft took off at 5pm Australian time on Tuesday 9 September for the long flight home. It landed in Rome at 11pm our time for a fuel stop and took to the air again at midnight. The Cat landed safely at Corfu at 4am 10/9 our time for the crew's first night's rest.

Day 2 and the team left Corfu enroute to Larnaca, Cyprus. I can let you know from Gary Squires of HARS that the team arrived safely on Cyprus and they are resting (11 September 9am).

Day 3 leave Cyprus for Bahrain in the Middle East; day 4 Masqat (Muscat), Oman followed by two days rest; day 7 across the Indian Ocean to Mumbai (Bombay), India. The Cat has problems with its radios and navigational equipment and a specialist has been sent from Australia to repair them as the local technicians don't have the required skills. Once repairs are completed the planned steps to complete the delivery flight include stops at Calcutta; Bangkok; Singapore; two days rest; Bali; Dilli; and finally - Darwin.

(A team of HARS volunteers will meet the aircraft in Darwin so it can quickly be painted dull black overall. This is the colour of the legendary RAAF Catalinas (Black Cats) which operated from Australia during World War II. Once the paint work is completed the aircraft will commence its flight across northern Australia to Cairns. From there the aircraft will fly down the east coast of the country for as many people as possible to see her and remember all those who flew and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. True recognition for the crews who undertook the covert night missions to Australia's north during WWII is long overdue.) 

Plans changed - the Catalina will be flown to Coffs Harbour in New South Wales to take part in the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the Coffs Harbour Aero Club. The crew will then fly it directly to HARS home base at Albion Park.

HARS Catalina On Way To Australia 

After a long and sometimes frustrating process, a World War II Catalina amphibious patrol bomber is now on its way to Australia from Europe to add to the growing list of significant heritage aircraft operated by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS).

The Catalina project is now being entirely managed by HARS after initially being a joint effort between it Catalina Association and Seaplane Pilots' Association. It is now recognised that HARS is the appropriate organisation to operate the Catalina due to its depth of experience and corporate knowledge of flying and maintaining complex historic aircraft.

In recognition of the Seaplane Pilots' Association vision and instigation of the events which led to the acquisition of the Catalina, its president, Phil Dulhunty, has been appointed Patron to the project.

A HARS team was sent to France to inspect the Catalina following damage sustained in June 2002. A repair scheme was designed and subsequently approved, this giving the aircraft a 'life' of 300 flying hours before further major overhaul work needs to be performed. These hours are sufficient to fly the aircraft to Australia and appear at many air shows and events.

The Catalina is being painted overall black to represent the legendary Royal Australian Air Force "Black Cats' which flew largely unsung but vitally important covert night missions over enemy territory to Australia's north during World War II.

HARS chief engineer John Skidmore and his team returned to France on 15 August this year to complete the repairs and have the necessary inspections performed. The Catalina was deemed ready for flight on 6 September.

While the engineering work was being performed, Captain Bruce Simpson - who also flies the HARS Super Constellation and DC-3 - travelled to New Zealand to become type rated on the Catalina, including water operations. The chief pilot of the NZ Catalina operation accompanied Bruce to France on 2 September to complete his rating and convert him to the HARS Catalina before bringing it to Australia.

The Catalina is scheduled to arrive in Darwin on 23 September, where it will be painted in a temporary overall black colour scheme. The aircraft will then fly to Cairns to begin a celebration flight down Australia's east coast to the HARS base at Illawarra Regional Airport at Albion Park near Wollongong.(26 August 2003)

Information on flight from France to AustraliaHARS has purchased an airworthy Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina for its collection. A worldwide search of possible aircraft took place and one of three Catalinas in Portugal was selected. The purchase price was $700,000 excluding repairs and the cost of flying the aircraft home to Australia (estimated at $250,000). 

Once the Cat arrives in Australia volunteers will paint the aircraft black and install the blue roundels used by the RAAF during WWII. It will then look the part of an RAAF Black Cat and be a living memorial to the crews who lost their lives in WWII Black Cats. 

Once the aircraft arrives on Australian soil it will be fully reconditioned to ensure its airworthiness and serviceability. The Catalina will require ongoing funding to keep it in the air for all Australians to enjoy at future airshows and aviation events.

Catalinas have a strong link to Australia's aviation history. The RAAF operated 168 between 1941 and 1950, flown by four front line squadrons, two communications units and three air-sea rescue flights during World War II. The famous Black Cats were used on covert night operations minelaying just about every enemy port in the South West Pacific Area, operations extending as far as the Chinese coast.

An immediate post war task for the RAAF's Catalinas was the repatriation of Australian prisoners of war from Singapore. After the war the remaining Catalinas were mainly used for courier and search and rescue duties. The last two were retired in April 1950. (Reference Stewart Wilson's book Catalina, Neptune and Orion In Australian Service 1991, out of print.)

HARS needs funds for this project - can you help? All donations to HARS are fully tax deductible in Australia.