Santa Catalina Island's Flying Boat History: Guest David Johnston
Water Flying Aviation Podcast · Seaplane Pilots Foundation
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Show Notes
David L. Johnston joins Steve McCaughey in this WaterFlying podcast to discuss his experiences as a dock boy for Avalon Air Transport (Catalina Air Lines), which at the time operated a fleet of Grumman Gooses as well as the incredible Sikorsky VS-44 four-engine flying boat.
In addition to working the seaplane dock between 1962 and 1968, David has become a passionate aviation historian of the long and colorful history of the island off the coast of Southern California.
Only three VS-44s were produced by Sikorsky, and the one that David worked with survives today. You can visit it, the last Sikorsky flying boat design, at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
To learn more about this magical time in seaplane and flying boat history you can purchase David's book "The Knights of Avalon" by clicking here.