Members of the PBY Memorial Foundation watched their dream become reality June 25 as a WWII-era PBY Catalina seaplane was brought in to NAS Whidbey Island by Columbia Helicopters at about 9:30 a.m. Some onlookers were quite overwhelmed by the arrival on which they had worked over a decade to achieve

“We had tears in our eyes,” said Win Stites, president of the PBY Memorial Foundation and former VP-91 Catalina aircrew member. “We felt it was worth all the effort.”

The foundation worked with Columbia Helicopters, who used one of their Chinook helicopters to deliver the PBY-5A to Oak Harbor. The seaplane was hoisted and flown from a location near the Skagit Valley Airport to the parking lot next to the PBY Memorial Foundation Museum in Simard Hall.

With the exception of the wingtips that were removed and delivered to the Seaplane Base by ground transport last month, the seaplane remains in its original condition, just as it was when it was in service at NAS Whidbey Island in the early 1940’s. With the wingtips removed, the aircraft weighs approximately 18,000 pounds. 

The transport flight took about 30 minutes, and covered 18 nautical miles. Tending lines as the fuselage was lowered down to the parking lot were Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Michael Feliciano, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 2nd Class Brian Deroulet and Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class John Spencer.

This project was organized by the PBY Memorial Foundation and coordinated with Capt. Gerral David, Commanding Officer of NAS Whidbey Island.

“I want to thank the Navy for where we are now,” said Stites, “and military veterans and supporters like Eileen Brown (retired NAS Whidbey base newspaper “Crosswind” editor), the late Dorothy Neil (long-time Oak Harbor resident, author and city historian) and the skippers of the base who had the vision, especially Capt. David, who opened it (space in Simard hall) up to us.”

Stites and his wife Donna had no idea a visit to NAS Whidbey Island to see his “old base” in the summer of 1998 would change their lives and that of many PBY fans forever. They had come to Oak Harbor as a gift from their children when they lived in Yakima, Wash., and dropped by Simard Hall to visit the base newspaper “Crosswind” office. By Sept. 22, 1998, 14 people had come together for lunch, set the wheels in motion and the rest is history.

By late 1999, the group became a foundation and then received permanent status as a non-profit organization in 2004. From 14 members, the group now numbers about 300. For many years, Stites had a standing column in Crosswind entitled “Cat Tales,” depicting harrowing and humorous stories along with his own original artwork of the PBY.

“We were naïve at the time; we thought it would be easy to get a PBY,” said Stites, who now makes his home in Coupeville. “Talking to former crewmen, many of whom are gone now, we wanted to get a Catalina in memory of crews who served at NAS Whidbey.”

Nostalgically speaking, customers of the main Navy Exchange are also walking in history as that structure was once a PBY hangar. With the hard work of so many, there is something tangible today to remind young and old alike of the role of the PBY Catalina in WWII, the history it played at NAS Whidbey Island and the sacrifice and honor of those who flew it. 

Official dedication of the static aircraft display is planned for 1 p.m. on July 10 at the PBY Memorial Foundation on the Seaplane Base.