The Consolidated Model 28, more commonly known as the PBY Catalina, is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In US Army service it was designated the OA-10, in Canadian service as the Canso and it later got the NATO reporting name Mop. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other nations. The last military PBYs served until the 1980s. As of 2021, 86 years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as a waterbomber in aerial firefighting operations in some parts of the world.
The Supermarine Stranraer is a flying boat designed and built by the British Supermarine Aviation Works company at Woolston, Southampton. It was developed during the 1930s on behalf of its principal operator, the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was the RAF's last and fastest biplane flying boat.
The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by it thereafter. The Hudson was a military conversion of the Model 14 Super Electra airliner, and was the first significant aircraft construction contract for Lockheed — the initial RAF order for 200 Hudsons far surpassed any previous order the company had received.
The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II.
The Martin PBM Mariner was a twin-engine American patrol bomber flying boat of World War II and the early Cold War era. It was designed to complement the Consolidated PBY Catalina and PB2Y Coronado in service. A total of 1,366 PBMs were built, with the first example flying on February 18, 1939, and the type entering service in September 1940, with the last of the type being retired in 1964.
Yarmouth Airport is a registered aerodrome located in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It began as a World War II Royal Air Force training base.
413 Transport and Rescue Squadron is an air force squadron of the Canadian Armed Forces. It was originally a flying boat squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. It currently operates the C-130 Hercules and the CH-149 Cormorant in transport plus search and rescue roles at CFB Greenwood.
No. 162 Squadron RCAF was a unit of Royal Canadian Air Force Eastern Air Command. Formed as a bomber reconnaissance squadron at RCAF Station Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada on 19 May 1942 with Canso A aircraft, the squadron spent an uneventful eighteen months on east coast anti-submarine duty. In January 1944, it was seconded to RAF Coastal Command and moved to RAF Reykjavik, Iceland to cover the mid-ocean portion of the North Atlantic shipping route. On April 17, Flying Officer T. C. Cooke and his crew attacked and sank U-342 while on a meteorological flight west of Iceland.
No. 4 Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active before and during the Second World War. It was formed on 17 January 1933 at RCAF Station Jericho Beach and flew civil operations until 1939, conducting forestry, customs and fishing patrols as well as aerial photography. On 1 January 1938, it was redesignated a General Reconnaissance squadron but continued with the same aircraft, but began training for war operations.
No. 6 Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active during the Second World War.
No. 7 Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active during the Second World War.
No. 9 Squadron RCAF was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron active during the Second World War, primarily in an anti-submarine role with Western Air Command and was based at Bella Bella, British Columbia. The squadron flew the Supermarine Stranraer, Consolidated Canso and Consolidated Catalina before disbanding on 1 September 1944.
No. 5 Squadron RCAF was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active during the Second World War. It was primarily used in an anti-submarine role with Eastern Air Command and was based at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Gander, Newfoundland, Torbay, Newfoundland, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Sydney, Nova Scotia. The squadron flew the Supermarine Stranraer, Consolidated Canso and Consolidated Catalina before disbanding on 15 July 1945.
Macau Air Transport Company (Macao Air Transport Company) was a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific that operated seaplane services between Macau and Hong Kong from 1948 to 1961.
VPB-100 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 100 (VP-100) on 1 April 1944, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 100 (VPB-100) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 15 December 1945.
Developed as a naval patrol aircraft, the Consolidated PBY Catalina was a widely exported flying boat during World War II. Over the course of the conflict it served with a number of different nations in a variety of roles. In the Royal Australian Air Force, PBYs and PB2Bs served as multi role bombers and scouts, the type eventually earning great renown among Australian aircrews. The motto of the Catalina squadrons was "The First and Furthest."
Andrew Gordon Carswell was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Avro Lancaster pilot who was shot down near Berlin on his fourth mission in 1943. After returning to Canada after the war, he rejoined the RCAF in 1948 as a search and rescue pilot flying Consolidated Canso flying boats off the coast of British Columbia. During this time he was involved in two famous rescues, including one in 1956 that won him the Air Force Cross which was presented personally by Elizabeth II. He later joined the Ministry of Transport and prepared a 1977 report on the shockingly poor quality of service and training of bush plane pilots operating in northern Ontario. The report led to the reformation of the Ministry's inspection bureaus and, ultimately, the formation of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Developed as a maritime patrol aircraft, the Consolidated PBY Catalina was a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was widely used during the Second World War. It first entered service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1943, equipping No. 6 Squadron and used for patrolling and search and rescue missions in the South Pacific. Once the RNZAF received sufficient quantities of the aircraft, a second squadron, No. 5 Squadron was formed in 1944 to operate the type. A total of 56 Catalinas saw service with the RNZAF and the type remained in use during the postwar period until 1954. They were replaced with the Short Sunderland flying boat.
