NEWSLETTER

OUR CAT’S NOT FAR OFF OUR DOOR STEP NOW – ALL WE NEED TO GET HER HERE IS YOUR HELP!

Last week, we reported our Catalina had reached Bahrain and that insufficient funds would see her stranded at Bombay (Mumbai). Not a desirable situation, especially given the horrendous events that transpired there since last week’s report.  

Thankfully, there has been a very positive response to our cry for help, the result being an influx of funds ($31,900 as of 28 November). These contributions have assisted us more than you realise. Not only did they help push our Cat to the top of Sumatra, arriving there early on Friday morning (28 November), but also contributed to our ferry crew managing to narrowly escape the terrorist attacks at Bombay, escaping their hotel and only just missing the gunfire at the airport.

So a very big thank-you to those who have contributed so far. Just goes to show what a difference we can all make!

But we’re not there yet. We desperately need more funds to pay for the fuel to get her to Medan. All things going well, we could see the Cat in Darwin on Monday 1 December or Tuesday 2 December.

The ferry flight has progressed like a dream – our Cat purring through the ether all the way from Portugal to Sumatra without a glitch. But then, what else would you expect from a couple of completely overhauled P&W 1830’s with almost zero-time hours bolted to an airframe in spectacularly good condition? Add to that the fact that this formidable combination is being guided on its journey by a superb ferry crew headed by Jim Hazelton.

Bureaucracy, terrorist attacks, the usual difficulties in sourcing avgas in some places, rising fuel costs and all the other perils attached to such an undertaking have proven no match for (soon to be) VH-CAT and its intrepid ferry crew!

But our Achilles’ heel is money. So please keep the funds coming. We’ve had to spend over $US 90,000 for the engines and new propellers, money that in effect, has come out of our fuel allowance and needs to be recouped. This is money well-spent as we now have a perfectly good airframe with engines that are good for another 1000 hours which should give us another 10 years.

All going well, the aircraft will be in Darwin on 1 or 2 December, and will then make her way to Bankstown, visiting or flying over a number of locations (to be advised) along the way. The journey from Darwin to Bankstown will be timed to ensure its arrival on Sunday 7 December 2008 (coincidently the anniversary of the Japanese bombing of the US naval base at Pearl Harbour on Sunday, 7 December 1941). But this all depends on you!

Remember:  

Your $1000 means on average 100 miles closer to home.

But donations of any size will be welcome and are tax-deductible. So for an opportunity to make a real difference to the success of this project, please post your cheque to The Catalina Flying Memorial Ltd at the address appearing at the top of this letter. Alternatively, you may pay by direct deposit.

Direct Deposit details:

The Catalina Flying Memorial Gift Fund
ANZ Bank
BSB 012 172
Account number: 8370 26202

To ensure you receive your official receipt for taxation purposes, please ensure you either:

• mail your direct deposit receipt to the above address, or
• email your direct deposit receipt to [email protected]

 

Newsletter and Web Content edited By : Colin Cool