NZFF

Hi there all, i was at the Chelsea sugar factory yesterday with my family at the opening of Heritage park. I heard these big cylinder engines in the skies and with my terrible eyesight not helping me much i decided to take a photo of this plane. I could just make out that it was some kind of seaplane. I immediately began to think Short S.30 then i thought, No! long gone and far to small. It appeared to fly over the Auckland Harbour Bridge then come around for another fly over then dissapeared from view.


I presume it's a Grumman Goose, does anyone know otherwise and/or what they were up to?....or maybe, just maybe it is a ....DUM DUM DUMMMM.. A GHOST PLANE!!!!!


Also no plane was reported flying over Auckland at that time and 60 years ago to that day a ....ok too far.

Its the Catalina which flys over Auckland regularly - no Goose (Geese?) left in NZ. http://www.catalina.org.nz/ZKPBY.htm

I had no idea that we had a PBY here in New Zealand. Now i want to know where i could find these famous historical WW2 piece of wonder!

Thanks Naki!

Its parked outside at Ardmore when its not flying.........it will be off to Omaka in a few weeks I presume and maybe to Whenuapai on the 21st March.

Great! I'd already planned to go to Whenuapai so i'll be taking a few photos. Thanks for the heads up.

there is also a display body at the Tauranga Classic Flyers Museam. they just put it up

One time we were at parade night at ATC and a Catalina was sitting on the tarmac it was pretty cool.

Heres a shot i got while ago out at Hamilton AP ,as you can see it was getting a service outside aeromotive hanger

PS whats on at NZWP on the 21st?? what event

The Air Force Open day - warbirds are suppose to be there - not sure about the Catalina though.

Ah rgr that ive been trying to con the misses into letting me come upto Auckland so i can attend and get some photos etc ..if i do ill try and arrange with you guys to meet up ...

creator2003 wrote:

QUOTE (creator2003 @ Mar 9 2009, 06:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah rgr that ive been trying to con the misses into letting me come upto Auckland so i can attend and get some photos etc ..if i do ill try and arrange with you guys to meet up ...

Ditto!

Sounds good Mike, i will definitely be there with some mates. It would be good to put a face to the name! thanks for the photo, great shot!

creator2003 wrote:

QUOTE (creator2003 @ Mar 9 2009, 06:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah rgr that ive been trying to con the misses into letting me come .....

Just say your going down to the dairy for a packet of cigarettes

Yeah and two days later turn up with just goodies from a airshow 160km away ,,yeah Ian that would go down a treat ,"need a black eye emotion "

we will see closer to the date if i can get there ,mite have to try grab some guys from down here to take up and cut the cost a bit .. now i just gotta find maybe 3 aircraft freaks like me to come from Hams to Auckland and back same day ...

Would love to join ya mate but I start work at 4pm that day so unfortunately Im out.

SQ350

If you want to see the Catalina, just head out to Ardmore and go down to the Warbirds/South East Apron... it is parked there most of the time it is not away visiting airshows/open days etc...

I have to go and park 'underneath' it everytime I taxi over to the SE apron to fill up at the BP pumps That sucker sits so high up...

managed to snap a fairly decent pic heading through the Waihi Gap late last year (click for bigger pic)

Paul, the Catalina will be at Whenuapai so you can catch it there

that last pic there the Cat must of been pretty low

well it looks it at least

From memory... I think I was around 2000-2500'.... the Cat was coming through the Waihi Gap at around 1700 or 1800'...

cambridgedan wrote:

QUOTE (cambridgedan @ Apr 14 2009, 10:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that last pic there the Cat must of been pretty low

well it looks it at least

That's where these warbirds belong, low and scaring the s*** out of the livestock!