PBY-6A Catalina
CC-CCS    34

Catalina PBY-6A, CC-CCS

Catalina PBY-6A, CC-CCS, Aerocondor, Seia - Portugal, 2001

Bureau Nr.:
46679
Construction Nr.:
2043
Civil Registry:
N9562C; CC-CNG; CC-CCS; VH-PBZ
Model:
PBY-6A
Name:
Felix
Status:
Airworthy
Last info:
2004
History:
  • Delivered to U.S. Navy as BuNo. 46679.
  • BOC: April 1945.
  • SOC: August 1956.
  • Aircraft Instrument Corporation, Miami, FL, 19??.
  • Registered as N9562C.
  • TRANSA, Santiago, Chile, 1957-1959.
  • Registered as CC-CNF.
  • Roberto Parrague/Aeroservicious Parrague Ltd, Santiago, Chile, 1959-1992.
  • Stored 1959-1980.
  • Registered as CC-CCS, April 1980.
  • Flew as tanker #34.
  • Sank during landing, Lago Gotierrez, Argentina, Jan. 27, 1986.
  • Salvaged, returned to service 1988.
  • Leased to ICONA/Spanish Ministry of Land & Forest Management, June 1991-1992.
  • Delivered to Spain from Chile, June 7, 1991.
  • Operating in Portugal late 1990's still in ownership of ASPAR but on charter to Aerocondor Transportes Aereos (ATA).
  • Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (H.A.R.S.), Sydney, Australia, early 2002-2004.
  • Registered as VH-PBZ.
  • Ferried from France to Australia, Sept. 2003.
  • Based at Albion Park Airport, south of Sydney, Australia, as of Oct. 2003.
  • Painted to represent RAAF 43 Squadron PB2B-2 (Boeing Canada built version) Blackcat.
  • Flown as A24-362/OX-V/Felix.

 
From the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society of Australia page: The aircraft is a PBY-6A model, built in 1945 by Consolidated at its New Orleans plant, c/n 2043 and delivered to the US Navy. It was later sold as surplus to the Aircraft Instrument Corporation and placed on the US Civil Register as N9562C. It was later transferred to Chile and flew with several companies until placed in storage in 1960 for twenty years. It was retrieved from storage and began operations as a water bomber with registration CC-CCS. Whilst in service fire fighting the aircraft sank in Lago Guitierrez, Argentina on the 27th of January, 1986. It was salvaged, rebuilt and back in service in 1988. In 1991 it was ferried across the Atlantic for operation by the Spanish land management department ICONA. Subsequently it went on charter to Aerocondor in Portugal.

It was purchased in 2002 in Portugal where it had been operated as a water bomber under Chilean registration, and was flown to Australia in September 2003.

Sources:

Pedro Quaresma de Almeida, Coimbra - Portugal, February 1, 2006