Catalina (PBY) at Isla Grande!

These captured images are from a video I took of a Catalina (PBY) which spent a few weeks at Isla Grande airport while being repaired. This a/c used to belong to Frank Porter, and prior to that was the property of ex-President Stroessner of Paragüay. It is rumored (but I have not been able to verify this) that this aircraft was the one that swooped down into the river north of Buenos Aires to rescue General Juan Perón, then President of Argentina, to save him from a military coup. The aircraft was ferried to Aguadilla (TJBQ or BQN, Borinquen field, previously the SAC Ramey Air Force Base) where it was damaged during high speed water taxiing. As they were pulling it out of the water, the aircraft slid down the ramp and the cockpit was flooded with salt water up to nearly the very top of the panel. They spent three days hosing it down to remove the salt water, and then towed it to Isla Grande, where it spent a number of weeks being repaired. These are images of the a/c as it was about to take off for LMM International (TJSJ or SJU), where final repairs were made before it was flown to Florida and its new owner.


Last Update: 5/24/97
Web Author: Juan Jimenez
Copyright ©1997 by Juan Jiménez - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED