PBY returns to Whidbey

Son-in-law Brian Tyhuis shot this video while I captured "stills" of the September 18, 2009 return of a PBY Catalina aircraft to Oak Harbor. The U.S. Navy flew such patrol aircraft out of NAS Whidbey in Oak Harbor during World War II. According to James Vannice (USN, retired), the amphibious aircraft played a critical role in the South Pacific and in turning the tide in the Battle of Midway. In a 2006 article Vannice said PBY crews "flew endless missions to the Aleutians, hunting for enemy ships and submarines." Like many PBY's, this aircraft was converted to use as a fire suppression plane. The crew flew in and out of the Seaplane Base near downtown Oak Harbor.