@texasbluegrassfan No where. Not in flying condition, anyway. Not for multiple million dollars, that is! Which is too bad (like most warbirds) considering how many of them there once was. =(
Thanks for taking time to post this. My father in law, a Lt. Commander in the Navy did 4 tours of duty flying these in the Pacific Theater. He said they are quite forgiving aircraft...they sure do fly slow...great for the search for downed pilots though.
@TwinBoom I don't think "night fighter" is the term. Those are planes that hunt other planes at night. They just flew anti-shipping harrassment at night because they were too vulnerable in the daytime. They'd cut the engines and glide in to attack, and generally scared the enemy more than did real damage (although they did that too). I liked the tactic of throwing empty crates of beer bottles out, which would whistle and sound like bombs falling, to make the enemy $&#@ their pants a little.
I am curious if there are any pilots out there who could help me with a question? I am 34 years old and the more I see these awsome old war birds the more I wished I had gotten a pilot's license a long time ago. Is 34 to damned old to bother wasting your time getting a pilot's license? Other than working for a large airline what other ways is there to make money with a pilot's license?
Yeah I get what your saying but that guy probably went into the military in his early 20s and learned to fly back then and has been doing it ever since. He probably has more flight time by now than most automobile drivers have seat time in their cars. A guy like that could probably get a job flying about anywhere. But for a guy starting out at 34 with no military experience (at least flying), what kind of work could he get flying?
we have 1 of this in norway, they use it to look for fire in the forest, it doesnt sound like this i remember it from i was a kid it sound more like BOMLUMBBMLBLUMBLUMBBLUMBLUMBOMBBLUMBLUM REALLY LOAD FAT SOUND, IT WAS GREAT
@awesomeneiss Mate this is the real thing not a scale model, you need to get to an airshow . This particular Catalina is based at Albion park air museum .
My father was a radio guy in one of these. The Capt wanted a slot machine from one of the clubs in Tahoe. They were over the area so he landed in lake Tahoe. Got his machine - but was unable to get enough lift in the high alltitude to get the plane back up again. They had to cart the plane back down in pieces. True story!
The wing hold 17,500 gallons (U.S.) of fuel. She could fly on one engine and remain aloft for hours. My uncle trained on one, but by the time he was ready to fly WWII was over. He tells people that he served in the Pacific (then says in a stage whisper "Puget Sound"). I don't think there is anyting today that is as good for search and rescue.
In the Pacific the legend of the "Black Cats" was born when the Catalina was painted flat black and flew night assaults against the Japanese fleet. The Navy's "Black Cats" performed reconnaissance, air sea rescue, dive bombing, mine laying, and torpedo attack missions using just star sightings for night navigation. These night operations were very successful. U.S. Navy PBY squadron VP-52 between November 1943 and June 1944 destroyed or damaged 16 enemy ships.
In this role you might even say that the "Black Cat" was the first stealth fighter, as it was nearly impossible to see flying low above the water at night.
Jacques Cousteaus son Philip was flying one of those. He was test flying it after having some work done to it. He was having problems and landed in a river when the propeller came off and cut thru the cockpit killing him.
My uncle died in 1943 on a test flight while serving with 490 squadron in 1943
ronnieboy1943 1 month ago
Comment removed
bujinkandojoninja 1 year ago
Awesome! Where can I buy one?
texasbluegrassfan 1 year ago
@texasbluegrassfan No where. Not in flying condition, anyway. Not for multiple million dollars, that is! Which is too bad (like most warbirds) considering how many of them there once was. =(
justforever96 4 months ago
Thanks for taking time to post this. My father in law, a Lt. Commander in the Navy did 4 tours of duty flying these in the Pacific Theater. He said they are quite forgiving aircraft...they sure do fly slow...great for the search for downed pilots though.
OREGONBEKKI 1 year ago
My Cheif Pilot flies this aircraft in his spare time - lucky b@%tard!
vne1981 1 year ago
Great vid of the Black Cat...beautiful restoration. Liked the internal views.
MAAMFan 1 year ago
painted as one of the black cats night fighter/destroyer `s
TwinBoom 2 years ago
@TwinBoom I don't think "night fighter" is the term. Those are planes that hunt other planes at night. They just flew anti-shipping harrassment at night because they were too vulnerable in the daytime. They'd cut the engines and glide in to attack, and generally scared the enemy more than did real damage (although they did that too). I liked the tactic of throwing empty crates of beer bottles out, which would whistle and sound like bombs falling, to make the enemy $&#@ their pants a little.
justforever96 4 months ago
I kind of like the ones with the blister windows on the sides best.
jabberwock11 2 years ago
Bet that was a beautiful sight to a downed airman bobbing in an open sea.
bootleggersouth 2 years ago 6
I am curious if there are any pilots out there who could help me with a question? I am 34 years old and the more I see these awsome old war birds the more I wished I had gotten a pilot's license a long time ago. Is 34 to damned old to bother wasting your time getting a pilot's license? Other than working for a large airline what other ways is there to make money with a pilot's license?
BradNC11175 2 years ago 2
DUDE. at my local flight museum this 60 year old guy makes 500$ bucks a pop flying passengers in a B-17, of course 34 is not to old.
ahallofcockatiels 2 years ago
Yeah I get what your saying but that guy probably went into the military in his early 20s and learned to fly back then and has been doing it ever since. He probably has more flight time by now than most automobile drivers have seat time in their cars. A guy like that could probably get a job flying about anywhere. But for a guy starting out at 34 with no military experience (at least flying), what kind of work could he get flying?
BradNC11175 2 years ago
You can get your pilot license with that age
spanish111japan 2 years ago
Thank you for the input.
BradNC11175 2 years ago
you can do flight instructing, rides, tours, really anything that involves flying.
Gunner7121 2 years ago
Thank you for your advice.
BradNC11175 2 years ago
Thank you for your advice.
BradNC11175 2 years ago
is that chino?
grudaone 2 years ago
Comment removed
warbird417 2 years ago
we have 1 of this in norway, they use it to look for fire in the forest, it doesnt sound like this i remember it from i was a kid it sound more like BOMLUMBBMLBLUMBLUMBBLUMBLUMBOMBBLUMBLUM REALLY LOAD FAT SOUND, IT WAS GREAT
nolifemerc 2 years ago
thats not the true scale? is it like 1:10?
awesomeneiss 2 years ago
what makes you think is a scale model?
DODwebdotorg 2 years ago
@awesomeneiss Mate this is the real thing not a scale model, you need to get to an airshow . This particular Catalina is based at Albion park air museum .
alby1o1 1 year ago
lol i remember we use to call ww1 planes flying corpses now its ww2 turn.
nolifemerc 2 years ago
Please send it back to America where it belongs, thanks
epicdeuce 3 years ago
Great show of ignorance there.
taswegian 2 years ago
My father was a radio guy in one of these. The Capt wanted a slot machine from one of the clubs in Tahoe. They were over the area so he landed in lake Tahoe. Got his machine - but was unable to get enough lift in the high alltitude to get the plane back up again. They had to cart the plane back down in pieces. True story!
74LesPaul 3 years ago
I saw a movie were they were cutting up the planes that came home.
It made me sick!
Brand new right from the factory never used just flew to Davis Montham air base.
keefer2111 3 years ago
. . beautiful plane, beautiful clip, i love it . .
knightrider600 3 years ago
is this the PBY-6A? A GREAT Video thanx for posting!!
cajunhornet60 3 years ago
With a wingspan like that, it must have a bloody good ratio with both donks out!
See you at PIREP - the Aussie aviation website.
PIREPvideos 3 years ago
The wing hold 17,500 gallons (U.S.) of fuel. She could fly on one engine and remain aloft for hours. My uncle trained on one, but by the time he was ready to fly WWII was over. He tells people that he served in the Pacific (then says in a stage whisper "Puget Sound"). I don't think there is anyting today that is as good for search and rescue.
thestalkinghorse 3 years ago
I saw one fly overhead yesterday! :D
it was awesome!
9bassgroove9 3 years ago
is this in the US caude thats where Catalinas are from
callofdutyguy9 3 years ago
In the Pacific the legend of the "Black Cats" was born when the Catalina was painted flat black and flew night assaults against the Japanese fleet. The Navy's "Black Cats" performed reconnaissance, air sea rescue, dive bombing, mine laying, and torpedo attack missions using just star sightings for night navigation. These night operations were very successful. U.S. Navy PBY squadron VP-52 between November 1943 and June 1944 destroyed or damaged 16 enemy ships.
orcstr8d 3 years ago
In this role you might even say that the "Black Cat" was the first stealth fighter, as it was nearly impossible to see flying low above the water at night.
orcstr8d 3 years ago
paper thin fuselage though
lupau69 3 years ago
Saw one of these at an air museum in oregon. Was done in US Navy blue paint job. The PBY is a beautiful plane to see close up.
DSmith99000 3 years ago
It's beautiful in water.
My uncle died in a PBY accident in 1961
dieglhix 4 years ago 14
Jacques Cousteaus son Philip was flying one of those. He was test flying it after having some work done to it. He was having problems and landed in a river when the propeller came off and cut thru the cockpit killing him.
dolphinDog 4 years ago
actually a head injury , had he worn his seatbelt and had a helmet he would have survived the flip of the plane.
speckspeck 3 years ago
black cats tore some new a.., this is a very cool video
wlh1us 4 years ago
Nothing like a Black Cat to the rescue U during WW2
blueknight2004 4 years ago 2
Awesome, One of God's Angels of WWII
gr8tfulsoldier 4 years ago
thats the catalina we got at the runway up the road
Navyfield 4 years ago