WINGS ACROSS THE CHANNEL
CATALINA ISLAND'S AVIATION HISTORY
PART ONE
May Day. Air power saves the town of Avalon from certain destruction on May 10, 2007, exactly 95 years to the day after the Island was first introduced to the bold new world of Aviation.
Take Off. On May 10, 1912, aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin (of Lockheed-Martin fame) made the first flight to Catalina Island, setting Catalina Island on a course to make aviation history. While Hollywood was dazzling the world with motion pictures, Catalina Island and the Southern California aviation industry were blazing new trails in the sky.
Turbulence. World War II closes Catalina to tourism. In turn, Catalina hosts several branches of the military to support the war effort and to keep the Island’s economy flying. This segment chronicles not only the role of aviation during the war, but the Island's many non-aviation contributions during the war.
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.
