From: Gordon Kent
Subject: SuperCat 54
Message: Good afternoon, I came across your site today while looking for some information on an aircraft I photographed in the mid to late ’70s during a brushfire near Hemet, California. I did photography work in an area close to Hemet at the time, and I was out and around on this day and followed the smoke. I shot this PBY SuperCat 54 dropping on the fire that paralleled the road I was on. I got off a lucky shot on Kodachrome 64, and the below image is from a scan of that transparency. I found an image of this aircraft on the web several years ago, and as I recall it had been retired for several years. I did not fully explore your site, but I didn’t see this plane when I was looking around. If you think this image adds to your content, you are free to use it. I like what you are doing on your site, and this would be a great place for others to see it too.
Sincerely,
Gordon Kent
THANKS A BUNCH, Gordon! We do actually have a bit more, but very much appreciate seeing yours!
The comments at the end of that story, by the way, are a DON’T MISS for PBYs! And there’s a few more Hemet snacks here:
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My husband was stationed at Hemet the summer/ fall of 1959 with the N3N-3, and the rest of the squadron.
Lookit what I found:
[[ fireaviation.com story on Frank Prentice ]]
Thank you for posting, Kelly!💕
Love Gordon’s photos, I might have more images of N6453C Super Cat T-54 in my files … maybe.
He found some all right! Plus T-83 and T-85
I have a couple stories about Tanker 85. It was about 1986, I was living in Heppner Oregon, it was summer fire season in the Northwest and I got a call from a friend. He asked if I had my scanner on because there was a Washington State DNR water scooper saying “Fuel Critical” and going to make a night water landing in the Columbia River. He had been working a fire near The Dalles Oregon and when it got dark headed back to his base in Deer Park Washington, planing a fuel stop in Pasco.
When he got to Pasco his landing gear wouldn’t come down so he had to land in the River. Being a flyer and airplane fanatic, I had several aviation frequencies plugged in to my scanner so turned it on and started listening. The “Chinook Approach” controler told him they would have the sheriff make sure the area between the Blue bridge and the cable bridge was clear. On final approach the controller asked him how many night water landings he had. The pilot replied “This will be my first one”. The landing went well and he beached the plane on a sandy section of the river shore. A mechanic came down the next day and fixed the landing gear, he took off, landed at the Pasco airport, and refueled.
Then in 2007 I was living in Ellensburg,WA. I hauled my Kitfox Rotax engine over to the Arlington Airport in my pickup to the Rotax service center to be repaired. When I got to the airport I called the mechanic to get the gate code> He said use the gate where the “PBY” is sitting. You guessed it, It was Tanker 85.
Here’s a link to the rest of the story of Tanker 85 https://aviationinthewest.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/the-rise-and-fall-of-tanker-85/#comments
I just remembered another Tanker 85 connection. Every Saturday morning our local EAA members meet at the pilots Lounge at the Ellensburg airport for coffee and donuts and tell lies about flying. A couple years ago when the DNR still had the Fire Boss scoopers based in Ellensburg, one of those pilots and his wife brought some sweet rolls and joined us. I told the story about 85 landing in the Columbia River at night. And the scooper pilot says, “I’m that guy.”
That SuperCat photo in the smoke by Gordon Kent gets a medal for pyrophotography!
The more I look at that image the better I like it. THANKS again, Gordon.
Wow, thank you Kelly, I am honored! So glad you like the image, and that it has found a home where it can be seen and appreciated by those that have the skill and experience to make it all work. If a view brings a small smile, or sparks a pleasant memory for some your readers, even better.
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