This August marks the 100th Anniversary of the
Circuit of Britain Race, a challenge sponsored by The
Daily Mail, for the first pilot to fly around Britain in
a waterplane. Of the four pilots who entered the race,
Harry Hawker, an Australian, was the most successful.
Not only was he the only entrant to start the race, he
flew over 1000 miles of the 1540 mile race before
crashing just north of Dublin. This was the longest
distance flown over water at the time.
Since Sopwith’s early attempts, there have been many
seaplanes, floatplanes and amphibians built by various
manufacturers over the years. One aircraft that
particularly stands out is the Catalina. Designed by
Consolidated and given the designation PBY it was one of
the most widely used multi-role aircraft of WW2. Over
3,300 examples were produced but today less than 20 are
still airworthy. The only airworthy Catalina in the UK
is operated by Plane Sailing Air Displays Ltd. Built in
1943 by Canadian Vickers at Cartierville, Quebec, it
served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1943 until
1961. It was then struck off charge and continued life
for many years as a fire bomber in Canada and France. It
was flown from Canada to the UK in 2004 and is now based
at the
Imperial War Museum Duxford.
Project Hawker is underway! Follow the latest news
here and track the Catalina
here.
On its epic trip it diverted to
over fly the site of RAF Pembroke Dock the history of
the station can be seen at our
history
site...from which below is an excerpt
The Royal Air Force’s arrival in 1930 brought hope to
a community still reeling from the closure of the Royal
Dockyard four years earlier. The sheltered Haven waters
were ideal for the operation of flying-boats and the
newly formed No 210 Squadron flew here in June, 1931.
Their Supermarine Southampton's – and later Short
Rangoon's and Singapore IIIs - were an ever-present part
of Pembroke Dock’s daily life in the 1930s.
During World War II Pembroke Dock became one of the
most important stations in waging the Battle of the
Atlantic and the ceaseless war against the German
U-Boat. At one time in 1943 no less than 99 flying-boats
– Sunderland's and Catalinas – were at Pembroke Dock,
making this the largest operational station in the
world.
From Pembroke Dock many RAF and Allied squadrons
operated at various times. Men of many nations flew from
the Haven, their patrols taking them far out into the
Atlantic, deep into the Bay of Biscay, above the Western
Approaches and, as part of the D-Day operations,
protecting the sea lanes leading to the Normandy
Invasion beachheads.
