WINGS ACROSS THE CHANNEL
1946-Present
CATALINA ISLAND'S AVIATION HISTORY
PART ONE: 1912-1945
Coming Next Spring. Originally released in October of 2008, the original Part One of the two-part series is currently being completely remade and will be available in early 2012 with new and higher resolution footage. Check back frequently for new updates.
PART 2: 1946-PRESENT
Knight Flights. With the end of the war came the return of the seaplanes and the pilots who flew them. Throughout the Golden Age of the Catalina seaplanes, the "Knights of Avalon" tirelessly flew their Grumman Goose G-21s and the mighty Sikorsky VS-44 Mother Goose to the Island (pictured), sharing the skies above Avalon with wheeling seagulls and lazy lines of pelicans.
Final Approach. The 1970s and '80s were the "last hurrah" for the seaplanes as well as scheduled fixed-wing land-based aviation on Catalina. Dozens of new airlines came on the scene, but it wasn't enough to stem the march of Time versus the aging equipment. Rising air fares and an increasing number of accidents heralded the end of a unique era in America's aviation history.
