VH-CAT Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina

This aircraft was originally built by Consolidated at New Orleans as a PBY-6A Canso

Delivered to the United States Navy Air Arm at New Orleans - March 25, 1945

It was allocated the BuNo 46665

Operated within the Aleutian Islands from Kodiak to Attu as well as Nome and up the Bearing Straits

to Point Barrow - 1945 to 1947

Overhauled and assigned to the Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia - 1948

Engaged in submarine warfare trials near Key West, Florida - circa 1950

Its brakes failed while taxying at Naval Air Station Chinoteague, Virginia - March 1951

It collided with a parked Grumman TMB-3E Avenger but was repaired and returned to service

Deemed to be surplus to requirements it was placed in open storage at NAS Litchfield Park, Arizona - March 29, 1953

The aircraft had flown 2,512 hours to date

Struck-off charge and sold to Aircraft Instrument Corporation, Miami, Florida - August 1956

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N9555C - August 1956

Sold to TRANSA, Santiago, Chile - 1957

Entered onto the Chilean Aircraft Register as CC-CNG - 1957

The conversion to civilian standard by Fabrica Nacional de Aeronaves (FANAERO), Chile was not completed

It was placed in open storage at Los Cerrillos Airport, Chile - 1957 - 1959

Acquired by Roberto Parrague of Aeroservicios Parrague Ltd, (ASPAR), Santiago, Chile - 1959

Reregistered as CC-CNP - 1959

The conversion to civilian standards was completed - ?

The aircraft was named 'Manutara II' (Frigate Bird)

This was in honour of a previous Chilean Catalina that had flown to Easter Island in 1951

It operated passenger and freight services from Easter Island and Tahiti to the Juan Fernandez Archipelago

Withdrawn from use due to low demand on the Easter Island - Papeete route - 1969

Converted to tanker configuration for aerial fire-fighting in Canada - 1970

It was allocated Tanker # 65 but later changed to Tanker # 35

ASPAR successfully tendered for an aerial fire-fighting contract in Spain under contract to ICONA - 1988

Ferried Chile - Spain in formation with Catalina 'CC-CDT' - July 1988

Arrived Zaragoza (Spain) at the conclusion of the ferry flight - July 08, 1988

Ferry route: Santiago - Mendoza - Ascuncion - Campo Grande - Recife - Fernando de Noronha -

Dakar - Las Palmas - Madrid - Zaragoza

Leased to Instituta Para la Conservation de la Naturaleza (ICONA) - July 1988

This is the Spanish Ministry of Land and Forest Management

Commenced a fire-fighting charter to Aerocondor, Portugal - 1989

The aircraft was observed operating with both Aerocondor and ASPAR titles

It was allocated the tempory Spanish registration 'EC-593' - 1995

Entered onto the Spanish Aircraft Register as EC-FXN - 1995

It was operated throughout Spain on forest fighting duties

As more modern equipment became available its flying time was reduced

A projected fire-fighting contract in Sweden did not eventuate - 1995

Entered onto the Chilean Aircraft Register as CC-CNP - ? 1995

Withdrawn from use and stored at Sela, Portugal - 2005

Sold to the Catalina Flying Memorial Limited, Bankstown, N.S.W., Australia - ?2007

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-DUL - July 27, 2007

Registered to Catalina Flying Memorial Ltd, North Ryde, N.S.W.

Reregistered as VH-CAT - October 08, 2007

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - September 04, 2008

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N160AT - September 23, 2008

Registered to Nystrom International, Sun Valley, Idaho

This registration was taken up to facilitate the ferry flight from Portugal to Australia

It arrived at Sydney (Bankstown) on completion of its ferry flight - December 07, 2008

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - December 23, 2008

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-CAT - January 13, 2009

Registered to The Catalina Flying Memorial Ltd, Lane Cove, N.S.W.

Current with the Catalina Flying Memorial