PPRuNe Forums - PBY in Rand

PPRuNe Forums (https://www.pprune.org/)

- African Aviation (https://www.pprune.org/african-aviation-37/)

- - PBY in Rand (https://www.pprune.org/african-aviation/126672-pby-rand.html)

Anyone know what happened to the PBY that was delivered to Rand in 1999?

Is it still there and will it ever fly again?

Chuck Ellsworth:

Over the next two years she appeared at a number of events and airshows
although these were mainly confined to appearances in Italy and Switzerland. In August 1997 she was sold once again, this time to Weavair, who ferried the aircraft to Lanseria, South Africa, and had the interior rearranged to accommodate fifteen passengers (from a previous arrangement of nine). Here it was used on flights from Johannesburg to Cape Town and up the eastern coast to Plattenburg, the early flying being conducted by Chuck Ellsworth, a Canadian pilot with a vast amount of experience in flying PBY's and DC-3's in northern Canada and Alaska, and is probably the highest-houred PBY pilot still current in the world, to check out three South African pilots, on the aircraft.

However, her stay in South Africa was not to last very long for in the late summer of 1999 it was decided to fly the aircraft back to the US to appear at the airshow at Oskosh in an effort to find a buyer. Ferry pilot for the trip was to be Chuck Ellsworth.

http://www.tidetech.com/fighterfactory/catalina.html

PBY still parked at Rand. Not sure if it's the same one but it looks like it hasn't moved for a while so more than likely that's her. A great pity to see something like that, just another African aircraft graveyard full of rusting hulks can't be far off.

As per the thread of AdamCG:

N-number : N9521C
Aircraft Serial Number : 48294
Aircraft Manufacturer : CONSOLIDATED-VULTEE
Model : 28-5ACF
Engine Manufacturer : P&W
Model : R1830 SERIES
Aircraft Year :
Owner Name : TRAINING SERVICES INC TA
Owner Address : 4455 SOUTH BLVD
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, 23452-1159
Type of Owner : Corporation
Registration Date : 06-Mar-2002
Airworthiness Certificate Type : Standard
Approved Operations : Normal

Are we talking about the same aircraft. Someone have a Reg on the one in SA??

The PBY I am asking about was flown from Athens Greece to Mozambique and then to Rand by a couple of friends of mine.

I was supposed to ferry it but got stuck in Jeddah with an engine change with N9521C.

We never did find out what happened to the Cat that was parked at Rand.

Chuck Ellsworth