All dates and times (local not UTC) are subject to weather and ATC.
Day 1 – Wednesday August 21
- 1030 Depart Duxford
- 1050 Tower Bridge
- 1055 Kingston (Sopwith Factory)
- 1056 Hook in Chessington (Harry Hawker’s resting place)
- 1100 Brooklands (Harry Hawker learnt to fly here + tested aircraft for WW1)
- 1120 Arrive Southampton EGHI
- 1300 Depart EGHI and overfly Solent Sky Museum
- 1303 Orbit opposite Netley Abbey
- 1305 Overfly Calshot
- 1307 Orbit Classic Boat Museum Cowes (Exhibition of Bat Boat tested by Hawker)
- 1323 Orbit RAFBF Sea Cottages at Rustington and then coastal route to Ramsgate
- 1410 Display at Ramsgate and then coastal route north
- 1507 Display at Gorleston-on-Sea and then continue route north
- 1628 Display at Scarborough and then coastal to Whitby
- 1703 Arrive EGXE RAF Leeming to stay overnight.
Day 2 – Thursday 22 August
- 1030 Depart RAF Leeming
- 1048 Return to Whitby and then coastal route north
- 1105 Orbit Seaham. (Hawker put down here for repairs)
- 1128 Orbit Beadnell. (Hawker put down here too)
- 1202 EGQL RAF Leuchars
- 1216 Orbit Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre. Hawker put down here.
- 1225 Continue coastal to Stonehaven.
- 1231 Display at Aberdeen and flypast airport
- 1300 Peterhead
- 1310 Fraserburgh
- 1320 Banff (former Coastal Command base with monument)
- 1332 EGQS RAF Lossiemouth (Possible landing)
Following times assume no landing at RAF Lossiemouth but if there is a landing then extra 60 minutes at least would be added to subsequent times.
- Continue west to Cromarty Firth.
- 1345 Orbit Invergordon
- 1347 Display at Cromarty
- 1400 Return to Invergordon and 1405 overfly Dingwall
- 1414 Overfly Dores to proceed down Great Glen
- 1424 Overfly Glendoe and 1436 Overfly Fort William
- 1450 Oban. Overfly Highland Games prior to closing and arrive EGEO Oban 1500
Day 3 – Friday 23 August
Rest Day in Oban with morning display over harbour at 1030. (Display application has been made broadly open to allow for a display at anytime throughout Friday or on Saturday morning to allow for weather issues. If weather is good then it will be Friday morning.) Aircraft open for inspection at Oban Airport in afternoon with short local flight late afternoon.
Day 4 – Saturday 24 August
- 1100 Depart EGEO Oban and overfly Oban Harbour then coastal route south to overfly North Coast and Kiells (Hawker set down for repairs here)
- 1156 Larne and then coastal route south
- 1226 Kilkeel and then enter Irish airspace
- 1241 Skerries
- 1242 Loughshinny
- 1245 Rush
- 1250 Baily Lighthouse
- 1252 Display at Dun Laoghaire followed by landing at EIWT Weston for fuel uplift
- 1406 Bray Head
- 1436 Continue south coastal route to Rosslare and then depart Irish airspace
- 1505 Dale followed by Pembroke Dock (Coastal Command Base /Sunderland Trust)
- 1538 Bude and then coastal run to Tintagel 1544 and past Newquay to Perranporth
- 1558 Perranporth before returning to Newquay EGHQ to land.
- 1603 Land at EGHQ Newquay / RAF St Mawgan to stay overnight.
Day 5 – Sunday 25 August
- 1300 Depart EGHQ Newquay heading south west coastal route
- 1316 Pendeen Lighthouse to fly around Lands End and coastal to Falmouth
- 1340 Falmouth Display off the coast between Pendennis Castle / Penance point
- 1420 Bolt Head
- 1436 Exmouth
- 1446 Lyme Regis
- 1457 Portland and then coastal to Swanage and Sandbanks
- 1500 Poole Harbour and Bournemouth Seafront ???
- 1512 Hengistbury Head
- 1515 Needles Lighthouse and then coastal to south of Isle of Wight
- 1531 Orbit over Classic Boat Museum Cowes and then to Calshot
- 1537 Orbit opposite Netley Abbey
- 1539 Overfly Solent Sky Museum
- 1540 EGHI overfly
- 1601 Brooklands (Harry Hawker learnt to fly here + tested aircraft for WW1)
- 1604 Hook in Chessington (Harry Hawker’s resting place)
- 1606 Kingston (Sopwith Factory)
- 1614 Tower Bridge to then clear north for home leg
- 1634 Arrive Duxford
Project Hawker 2013 
Can you tell me where the Aberdeen display will take place please? (Beachfront?)
Hi Bill. Weather permitting it will be over the sea, north of the harbour wall. Centre point of the display line (100 metres from low water mark) is probably the Beach Ballroom / where Beach Bvld joins the sea front. Kind regards Jeff
Hi, When will you know if you are landing at Lossiemouth
Decision on RAF Lossiemouth will hopefully be posted later today. If the IWM Duxford based Catalina G-PBYA does stop it will be not for long perhaps 30 minutes maximum to support the RAFBF.
When you say the aircraft is open for inspection on Friday morning – does that mean it open for public viewing and if so do I need to book?
Hi Iain. Yes, the public will be able to see this wonderful aircraft up close after it has completed its air display over Oban Harbour, weather permitting. Booking not required but it is hard to judge crowd numbers. No doubt a queue system will operate! Kind regards Jeff
Hi,
On the flight from Booklands to / from Southampton, which route will the flight take?
regards,
Chris
Chris. Outbound the route will be as direct as possible avoiding any danger areas. The key feature on the return will be timing so as to keep with the special overflight arrangements for London. Dunsfold is off track but the point about the event has not been lost. However, the Wings & Wheels organisers have not made a request for overflight. Jeff
Sorry, forgot to ask if the Catalina will overfly Dunsfold Aerodrome on 25th as it is Wings & Wheels, Battle of Britain flight, Red Arrows etc
regards
Chris
Pingback: Flying boat to fly over Tower Bridge
That is correct, subject to weather and ATC. Jeff
Do you know how low down the flypast over Tower Bridge is likely to be — aka, close enough to reliably get photos of the two together from the ground, or will the plane be roughly at the same height as most flyovers by helicopters etc?
Thanks
Between 1402 and 1500 feet to comply with ATC. A good position may be on London bridge facing downstream or even closer say Tower Bridge Pier.
You say display at Ramsgate on Wednesday but I thought the display was at Broadstairs for the Water Gala, AFAIK there is nothing happening at Ramsgate on Wednesday
There is an air display at Ramsgate first as part of Project Hawker. By good fortune the Catalina is then flying past the Water Gala at Broadstairs. Following a kind request from Sam Whatmough, the Air Display Organiser, the IWM Duxford based Catalina will put in a guest appearance weather permitting.
Thanks for clarifying that.
I am still slightly puzzled as there has been no publicity here locally about this display at Ramsgate so far I’ve not found a single thing about it, this seems a shame as it would be good to have a crowd there to see this lovely aircraft doing a display presumably off the harbour.
Have you been approached by the Dawlish Airshow organisers? They have their annual airshow this coming Bank Holiday Saturday, it would be great if you could go via Dawlish for a few passes on your way to St Mawgan? 🙂
Hi Matt and yes they have been in touch. The IWM Duxford based Catalina has a very tight schedule on the Saturday but it will fly past Dawlish on the Sunday afternoon. Watch the website for timing. There should also be a live map available too.
Apologies for the late reply, but thanks very much for yours. Seeing as I live close to Dawlish I will make the effort to visit again on Sunday and grab some photos of the wonderful Catalina.
Thanks again,
Will the flightpath be coming anywhere close to Kingston Upon Hull? Would love to see and hear a Cat again.
Provided there is no sea fog, you will see and hear the Catalina go past at Withernsea. Better still though, head north to Scarborough and see it do a air display off the beach opposite the Grand Hotel!
Thank you. Have a good flight.
Jeff,
You have impeccable timing. Back in Australia August 21st is the very last day of work at the (in order) deHavilland/Hawker deHavilland/Boeing plant at Bankstown Airport near Sydney NSW Australia. The plant is closing after 78 years of building aircraft from Tiger through Mosquito, Vampire, Airbus (parts) and beyond. The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society’s DH Drover, Tiger Moth and DHC Caribou will be performing farewell flypasts over the Plant at 12 mid day in salute.
Sad news indeed but fantastic to hear that the team from HARS will do a flypast; a fitting tribute to a proud heritage. May there be blue skies! Perhaps the employees can maintain their links by banding together? See http://www.hawkerassociation.org.uk/
Is that a typo for 14.24 on Thursday, Glendoe?. Are you going to be in Glencoe? I’d like to see that in there.
Hi Danny. Not a typo as Glendoe is just near Fort Augustus.
Will you be flying at about 1500 ft over Hook or will it be lower? If I stand by Harry Hawker’s resting place I assume you’ll be overflying it. (I’m thinking about taking photos and what lens to use)
Hope to be at 1000 feet over Hook.
The Ulster Aviation Society based at former RAF Long Kesh are having an open day and incorporating a commemoration of the Battle of the Atlantic at their hangars this Saturday.Just wondering is your schedule hard and fast or does it allow for maybe a small slight detour for an overfly as Catalinas played a big part in the Battle of the Atlantic operating out of N.I. It just seemed an ideal opportunity as you are over N.I. by coincidence this Saturday ! If not , what height will you be transiting down the east coast at ?
Gary. It is a tight schedule as it is and lots of folk are wanting the Catalina to come off track at various locations. I am trying to stick to the route followed by Harry Hawker back in 1913 given the fact it is a 100th Anniversary Flight. Weather permitting the transit height will be between 500 and 1000 feet. Kind regards
Jeff
Good luck with the tour. Can you tell me if as part of the flight up the East Coast your route comes anywhere near The Forth Bridge? It would be amazing to get a shot of her over it.
The Catalina will not be going over (or under) the Forth Road Bridge. Alas that is too off route but it will go from Eyemouth to Crail if that is of any help.
Thank you. The Forth Bridge isn’t the road bridge but our magnificent railway bridge.
Many thanks and all the best. I’d love to have seen the Catalina in Oban but am tied up elsewhere.
Of course! A long day so off to bed.
Have a great flight and may the cloud bases be high and winds light.
I entered a comment earlier today asking 2 perfectly reasonable questions like many of the above comments that you have answered ,yet my post/question appears to have been binned and not posted ! any particular reason ?
Sorry about that, your original comment as well as several others have just been approved. Jeff will respond to you this evening, its been a very busy day finalising everything before the flight.
no probs Alex , was beginning to wonder lol Either way looking forward to seeing the “old girl” again 🙂
Apologies for the delay and definitely not binned at all Gary. You may not appreciate the volume of press and other calls, emails and associated issues dealt with today most of which was spent at Duxford while preparing the Catalina. Still a lot of emails to deal with not to mention finalising the crew briefing pack so must not delay.
Am looking forward to seeing the catalina display at gorleston beach, how precise would you say the 15:07 estimate is? Just would hate to miss the display if it is running early.
Hi Jeff, has a decision been made about landing at RAF Lossiemouth yet? Looking forward to seeing the ‘old girl’ on Thursday!
Mike
Yes. The Catalina will make a very brief stop.
Oops sorry wrong date on my post re last day of work flyover at H de H Bankstown. The day is actually Thursday 29th August. 1200 hrs
will you be adding a live map to this site so we can follow you hour by hour ?
Yes! We will be using a SPOT tracker (http://www.findmespot.eu/en/) that will update with the Catalina’s position every 10 minutes. The link will be posted on the main page tomorrow right before the flight begins.
Thanks Alexb. My uncle served on Russian Convoys and often spoke of the friendly white birds presumably i think he meant PBY’s or Sunderland flying boats, sadly he has passed away now but i do have his medals and some of the stories he told me. I shall be following with interest as im off work injured and cant do anything else
Thanks Jeff, good to hear you’re touching down at Lossie. Can’t wait to see the Cat!!! Hope things go well on your first leg tomorrow.
Mike
Well Done you! What a fantastic idea to re-enact this epic trip. Best of luck
Wave as you go by Hunmanby Gap and Filey 🙂
Wave as you go by Hunmanby Gap and Filey 😉
I thought people might want to see a few photos:
PBYA over Hook https://www.amazon.co.uk/clouddrive/share?s=XCPskKd4Q2AmbOjXsJG_4k
and Harry Hawker’s resting place
https://www.amazon.co.uk/clouddrive/share?s=fOE7bh1ZT1sjpDZ5WuwWxY
Copy and paste these links into your browser’s address bar.
Thank you for the photos!
Hi, will you passing York throughout your journey! My kids would love to see you’s
I was really impressed by the display at Broadstairs this afternoon following on from Ramsgate. Really displayed the old bird to its best effects. I will provide a link to some photos later.
There are a few photos among others from the Water Gala at Broadstairs at http://www.stella-maris.org.uk/images1d.phtml
What a beautiful sight over Teesside, enroute Leeming. Shame, no camera with me.
Excellent Jeff, saw the flyover at Kingston upon Thames
Congratulation to you and your crew & backup team.
Are any water landings & takeoffs planned?
Excellent Jeff, congratulations to you, the Catalina crew & ground team.
Are any water landings & Takeoffs planned?
David Cockle
Only one more sleep before the Cat comes to Lossiemouth! Foggy here tonight but hopefully it will all have cleared away by the time you arrive. Have a good flight tomorrow.
Mike
Air to Air pictures of the Start of the adventure here http://catalina-startsouthampton-21-aug-2013.blogspot.com/2013/08/air-to-air-images-of-catalina-circuit.html
Thank you for sharing these, they are fantastic photos.
I saw you land at RAF Lossiemouth and depart, what a fantastic sight (and sound!). My son took some great photos and my neighbour, who served with the RNAS at Lossiemouth, was equally impressed. Many thanks to all of you who made this venture possible.
Mike
PS The air to air shots are superb!
Thank you – have added a few more hoping it adds to the ‘buzz’.
I wonder how many people will see the Cat on this Circuit of Britain – could be several million?
Pity time does not permit flying over Stranraer/Wig Bay where many a Catalina was based during WW2 and where my dad ended up after being bombed out of Pembroke Dock AND if all that hadn’t have happened – I wouldn’t be here !!! Have a good trip.
Aye John, if Lossiemouth was anything to go by, a host of very delighted people!!!
Mike
When you transit down the coast from Newquay on Sunday what FL are you looking at, want to get a good vantage point for some photos?
Great to see it back over Dublin; I previously saw it as CF-NJF with Kenting Aviation here on 6th May 1966. Congratulations on an excellent project! [A few shots from this morning on my Flickr site] – http://www.flickr.com/photos/banterops/
Watched your orbit of Pembroke Dock this afternoon. Thank you!
We feel really privileged to have been able to play host to Miss PIck Up this weekend.. What a wonderful time we have had.
Haste Ye Back….
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.560050627390381.1073741833.100001563452304&type=1
Thanks for a memorable display over the Bay at Falmouth….we were out in a small boat waving madly and loving the sound of those Wasp radials….could have watched all afternoon. Photo posted of the Catalina over St Anthony Lighthouse on Facebook! Wishing you guys many Happy Landings!!
Lovely to see you. My Dad would have loved this he was in 210 Squadron Coastal Command at Oban in WW2. Maggie & Chris Tolworth.
Saw you from St.Pauls Church, Hook this afternoon.
Very appropriate to fly over Harry George Hawker’s grave.
Saw you from my garden in Bitterne as you flew overhead. Absolutely wonderful sent shivers down my spine. Thank you