OAK HARBOR, Wash. – A story, years in the making, came to an end for the city of Oak Harbor when a CH-47 Chinook air crew from the Washington Army National Guard air lifted a World War II-era PBY-5a bomber from downtown Oak Harbor to the Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum on Jan. 21.
“This event marks a proud and memorable milestone not only for the PNW Naval Air Museum but also for the many volunteers, agencies and government officials whose dedication and perseverance made it possible,” said Barry Meldrum, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum. “It is truly a triumph for our community and for all who have supported the museum along the way. We are deeply grateful for the passion, hard work and belief that helped turn this dream into reality.”
The event had significant meaning for Whidbey Island, which was home to a squadron of PBYs in 1942 when they were put into service during World War II. The PBY-5A served in patrol, search-and-rescue and long-range bombing roles. Known for its versatility, it could operate from water or runways, dropping bombs and torpedoes and carrying heavy armament, serving as the “eyes of the fleet” in various roles from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with famous "Black Cat" night attack missions. The Navy retired the plane in 1957, and many found their way to plane bone yards while some went to museums. In 2010, the museum won the plane at an auction, and a private helicopter company flew it to Oak Harbor. Since that time, the museum has moved to a permanent location and has wanted the PBY to have a permanent display as well.
As the museum began looking into options for moving the plane, they realized the challenges of moving something that heavy and large. They looked at trailering the plane, but the road system and crossings would be too small. They considered using a boat, but that still wouldn’t get it to the museum. That is when retired Brig. Gen. Mike Bobeck, former state aviation officer for the New York Army National Guard and museum board member, suggested tapping the Washington Army National Guard for assistance.
The team at the Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum reached out to the Guard this past summer and began building the packet and conducting stress tests on the plane to see if it could withstand the air travel for one last trip.
“That is when we thought that maybe this is possible, but of course needed to do that paperwork to see if it was allowed,” said Chief Warrant Officer Four Crosby Olsen, pilot in charge of the mission.
For the city of Oak Harbor, the significance of the day and the 83-year-old PBY-5a Catalina were on full display the morning of Jan. 20, when the aircrew flew in to attempt the lift. More than 1,000 community members came out to watch as Guard members from B Company, 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation began preparing for the lift and movement.
“The whole town came out to see this event,” Olsen said. “It’s a cool opportunity. I’ve been doing this for 18-and-a-half years and this is the first time something like this has come across for me to fly.”
Originally scheduled for October, this lift was postponed numerous times and almost didn’t happen. As the Chinook hovered about the PBY, the plane spun around as it was lifting.
“We noticed that the amount of down draft coming off the Chinook was causing the PBY to move too much, and we knew that the window of time we had was limited so we decided that safety was the number one priority and disconnected and repositioned the plane,” said Crosby. “We came back the next morning with different equipment ready to go.”
Equipped with a long cable, the Chinook lifted the PBY, hovering above the park before making the turn over the harbor and towards its forever home at the museum.
“Though I have been impressed on several occasions in my life, this experience will rank atop the list as the most inspiring, most jaw-dropping of operations I could have participated in. I am humbled by the professionalism and dedication of the Army National Guard and was privileged to work with them on this mission,” Meldrum said. “The determination and clear focus of the men and women who fixated on the success of this fantastic idea – with no casualties of any kind – was truly remarkable. Many thanks to everyone involved in making this happen. It took many months, and overcame many hurdles, but our friends at the Washington Army National Guard persisted. Thank you to the ‘slingers,’ engineers, mechanics and crew for the creativity to solve problems, and for agreeing to work with our ‘Old Lady.’ We all know there was no flight manual on how to lift a WWII PBY, but working with everyone at the Guard was smooth and friendly.”