Photographer: Karl Krämer.

Fire bomber photographed undergoing maintenance, the registration can just be discerned under the wing, it was re-registered N324FA to Airborne Fire Attack Inc. the following month, and it was planned that it would replace PBY-5A N322FA which had come to grief whilst scooping water at San Vincente Reservoir in August of that year. However for whatever reason this never happened and it passed to the Commemorative Air Force, (CAF), and after the discovery of severe airframe corrosion it is now exhibited statically at the CAF Lake Superior Squadron, at Richard I. Bong Airport, Superior, WI.

The Flying Fireman was formed in Victoria (by Alex Davidson and Bill Harrison) to operate two PBY-5s water bombers out of Prince George (CF-NTL and N609FF) in 1965 and 1966. By 1973, BC was fully committed to land-based retardant air tankers but continued to use PBYs on a casual basis, and Flying Fireman found work elsewhere in Canada and the US. This PBY-5 served with the US Navy as BuNo 46522 and became N5585V. Imported to Canada in 1972 and operated as tanker #7 and #777. January 1990 to Erickson Group Ltd in Oregon as N2172N. To Erickson Aircraft Collection in 2012 and Avenger LLC in 2016.

Looking stunning while taking a break in the evening sunshine at Zanzibar en-route Cairo to Victoria Falls. The Catalina had earlier landed in the harbour at Zanzibar before making the short hop to the airport for the night.

Former RCAF 9830. Owned by Collings Foundation and appears to be undergoing restoration at American Aero Services.

Former RCAF 9830. Owned by Collings Foundation and appears to be undergoing restoration at American Aero Services.

Former PH-PBY acquired by the Collings Foundation.

This PBY-6A was built for the US Navy 46645 in 1945 before being sold and reregistered N10013 in 1956. It then went to Canada as CF-IZO and reregistered C-FIZO in 1983. In 1990 it was sold to the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum where it was restored to flying condition with the tail fin of the PBY-5A. It was flown along the coast to the Norwegian Aviation Museum in Bodø where it is currently displayed. On the way, the aircraft made low passes over the homes of former Catalina crew members. The real FP535 was Catalina Mk III that was lost on a search and rescue flight north of Iceland 5 November 1942.

Operated by Eugene, Oregon based Soaring By The Sea, wearing the colours of VP-14 which was stationed at Kaneohe Bay at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.

The graceful Catalina T-115 makes a water scoop from Lake Hemet

Catalina water bomber departing Hemet-Ryan on a fire dispatch. Sadly, the following August the aircraft was destroyed at San Vicente Reservoir while on another water scoop.

Brazil received 12 Cansos from 1943, some seeing active warfare against German submarines. They were later used for air mail and to provide vital services to remote Amazon populations. This example was supplied by Canada in 1949 and (Canadian serial 9752) and operated till as late as 1982 when it was retired to the museum.

Operated by SAESA