WW2 RAF Pensacola USA Training

[Chugalug2]

Then I take back everything that I said.

Thanks oxenos. Like many pilots I have always admired the Catalina and the Sunderland 'boats. We had an ex Sunderland captain on 30 Sqn, who said that you needed to know as much about seamanship as you did about airmanship to operate them. The first time I had to amend QRs was at Cranwell. A whole section dedicated to hard lying allowances, spelling out the conditions required for eligibility (ie due to adverse wx having to spend all night taxying into wind, having cast off from the moorings) had to be removed. It was the end of an era.

[megan]

The Cat still holds the record for the longest non stop regular airline flight at 32 hours 9 minutes, Perth, Australia to Ceylon. Operated by QANTAS during the war with five crew, max payload was three pax and 152 lbs of mail (put onto microfiche to reduce weight). Have comprehensive details of the operation written by the then Chief Pilot should anyone want to PM.

[threeputt]

My father graduated, as a pilot, from USNATC Pensacola (Squadron 8A) on 11th Oct 1944. During his time there he flew the PBY2, 5 and 5B. In all he accumulated 45:25hrs including one operational sortie.
3P

[RogerRB]

Thank you all for the wealth of information you have provided for me.
I remember Rod telling me that he flew the non-amphibious Catalina. His daughter has promised me his Flight Log Book as she is clearing out his house, when I get that I will be able to make more progress with my research.
I will also contact The Catalina Preservation Society I tried to get a copy of Pensacola Pilot through Amazon but failed miserably...no stock!.

[Whinging Tinny]

Originally Posted by RogerRB

I will also contact The Catalina Preservation Society I tried to get a copy of Pensacola Pilot through Amazon but failed miserably...no stock!.

This place has a couple of 2nd hand copies:
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sea...la+Pilot&isbn=

[RogerRB]

Thank you Whinging Tinny for the 'Pensacola Pilot' lead; I contacted the book shop and ordered a copy.

[ScotsSLF]

I've just seen this post (3 years after the original!) but my father was in the Admiral Towers scheme between Dec 1943 and July 1944 where he did his pilot training starting in Stearman's, then Harvards and finally to Catalinas. He then moved to the Middle East with Coastal Command (again on Catalinas) until the end of the war. I am trying to find out more about his training which appears to have included a fair amount of flying at Grosse Ile (near Michagan) and Moncton in Canada with his in addition to his main training at Pensacola.

[NutLoose]

Wohooo, I feel the need to put up a photo...

[Ninthace]

My father went through Pensacola and ended up on Catalinas and subsequently Sunderlands. He flew a Catalina PY5B that ultimately ended up ashore and now has its own website. The spooky thing was the website had a crew photograph, which I instantly recognised, as I have a copy of the original picture in a box of "treasures" I inherited from him.

[RogerRB]

Good evening to both NutLoose and Ninthace,
My late friend Rod Satchwell went from ATC; RAFVR; Canada; Grosse iLE: Pensacola: By then the war had ended and his finished up in Palestine; doing what, I haven't found out yet!
I have his complete training record from EFTS onwards.....

[dduxbury310]

A couple of "nick-names" not often seen, which relates to Catalinas. In files of official correspondence on the allocation of various PBYs during WW2, I have seen the terms "Seacats" and "Landcats" sometimes applied to (respectively) the non-amphibious and the amphibious models, merely as a handy (short) reminder of an important difference between these aircraft. Possibly just in case some file reader was a little bit fuzzy as to which model was which - might have caused some embarrassment if the wrong model was sent to an unsuspecting customer.

[brakedwell]

An RAF Sunderland was the first aircraft I flew in. We were on a two week CCF summer camp at RAF Pembroke Dock in 1952 and I flew almost every day. Most of the Captains were SNCO's and I was very impressed with their life. I did half a dozen 8-9 hour patrols over the Atlantic and earned my keep by frying egg anf bacon sandwiches! The most interesting trip was up to Short Brothers in Belfast to pick up spare parts. We landed in the harbour and taxied to Shorts Harbour Jetty, collected the spares and returned to Pembroke Dock. I remember the sea being very rough during the take-off.

[Alchad]

Beautiful aircraft, lucky enough to photograph at the Chalke Valley Air Show in 2015

[Snowbound 612]

The museum at NAS Pensacola has a great Catalina cutaway. This was originally a Lend Lease aircraft with a Brit construction number. It was damaged in 1944 and then became a display at the survival training center until being moved to the museum in 1997. Sorry, can't post URLs yet. Some nice sites if you google Catalina cutaway.

[Geriaviator]

My friend and a great instructor, Desmond Mock, trained at Pensacola and was posted to fly Catalinas from Lough Erne in Northern Ireland, where he became an instructor at Killadeas. While it wasn't done to say so at the time, the Cat crews preferred their Twin Wasps to Merlins which were considered prone to coolant leaks on 22-hour patrols. Postwar he became an instructor on Harvards and Vampires at Cranwell.

[megan]

The museum at NAS Pensacola has a great Catalina cutaway. This was originally a Lend Lease aircraft with a Brit construction number. It was damaged in 1944 and then became a display at the survival training center

Remember it well, Jan & Feb '67.

[Bucky123]

Originally Posted by RogerRB

I am researching and writing about a late friend of mine who, in 1943 - 1944, went to the Pensacola Naval Base and did flight training on the Catalina flying boat and subsequently flew Catalina's in the middle east in the last years of the war.
Can anyone tell me anything about Catalina flight training; I have contacted the Pensacola Naval Base archives but they cannot help.

I realise this is an old thread but are you still looking for information? My dad trained at Pensacola and got USN wings and RAF wings (not actualy allowed) and came back to serve in WWII in late 44

[megan]

My dad trained at Pensacola and got USN wings and RAF wings (not actualy allowed)

I was Oz Navy and trained to wings standard at Pensacola graduating early '68, was standard practice to be pinned with USN wings, couldn't wear them when arriving home of course.

[greyturner]

Here's another story of a pilot who trained at Pensacola. Search for this:

"Finding ‘Wings’ – Reuniting a Cornish Pilot’s WW2 Documents With Their Family"

[RogerRB]

Originally Posted by Bucky123

I realise this is an old thread but are you still looking for information? My dad trained at Pensacola and got USN wings and RAF wings (not actualy allowed) and came back to serve in WWII in late 44

Yes please; did he train on Catalina's?
Any information you have about your fathers training gratefully received...