Amphibian Air Transport
Amphibian Air Transport (1947-1949), was the earliest airline to fly the rugged Grumman Goose to Catalina Island, in addition to three Sikorsky S-43 amphibians. Amphibian Air Transport flew 12 round trips daily from Long Beach to Avalon and six round trips from Burbank. Extra flights were flown as needed on Sundays and Holidays. Amphibian Air Transport used a unique floating barge and ramp system that was tied up near the Casino in Avalon Bay to board and disembark flights. The owner of the airline was Ken Brown and Vice-President was C.E. Hunsinger.
Amphibian Air Transport Fleet:
- Grumman Goose:
NC95467, NC95468, NC68157, NC68158
- Sikorsky S-43:
NC53294, NC53295, NC16934
AVIATION HISTORY: Santa Catalina Island
- 1912 Aviation pioneer, Glenn Luther Martin (1886-1955), makes the first flight
- 1919-1920 Chaplin Airlines - first regularly scheduled service
- 1920 Goodyear Pony Blimp
- 1921-1928 Hal Holloway’s Fly With Me sightseeing
- 1922-1928 Pacific Marine Airways
- 1925-1931 Western Air Express
- 1931-1941 Wilmington-Catalina Airlines, Ltd., owned by the Wrigleys
With the onset of World War II, Santa Catalina Island was declared a military zone, and both air and sea transport was shut down.
- 1947-1949 Amphibian Air Transport ~ earliest airline to fly the Grumman Goose to Catalina Island,
- in addition to three Sikorsky S-43 amphibians* 1953-1968 Dick Probert’s Avalon Air Transport, aka Catalina Airlines
- 1953-1968 Avalon Air Transport
- 1968-1973 Golden West Airlines began operating the Catalina route in 1968, after Catalina Airlines ceased operations
- 1978-1981 Trans Catalina Airlines
- 1981-1982 California Amphibious Transport [CAT] owned by Dan Aikens
In the News~
August 5, 1948 [Madera Tribuna]: “Catalina Airline faces suit by US. Los Angeles. Aug. 5—A federal suit to stop Amphibian Air Transport, Inc. from carrying passengers from Catalina Island to Burbank and Long Beach was filed yesterday by the Civil Aeronautics Board. The CAB said in its suit that the airline is operating in interstate commerce because its planes have to cross federal territory over the San Pedro Channel. It is engaged in intrastate commerce, declared the airline, because all its landings and take-off points are in California.”
August 16, 1948 [LBI]: “15 rescued as Catalina plane goes down at sea. Boat tows plane 15 miles. A Sikorsky S-43 flying boat carrying 13 vacationists to Catalina Island was forced to crash land yesterday when one of its two motors conked out 15 miles at sea. None of the holiday crowd was injured in the landing, according to Capt. Richard J. Hanley, 3365 Lakewood Blvd., pilot of the ship. A coast guard boat came to the flying ship's rescue and towed it to the safety of Terminal Island. The passengers all were very happy, Hanley said, that the plane was an amphibian and not a land model. The sleek island-bound ship was cruising along at 1200 feet when a motor started to miss. Hanley said he and his copilot, Capt. Saunders Behrens of Culver City, figured they could bank around and make Long Beach on one motor. "But we were afraid the motor might net up and cause fire to break out," he said. "The sea looked pretty good, so we brought her down." Hanley said the landing was a fairly easy one, but the heavy swell they had not noticed from the air tossed them around a bit." "Everyone was in good spirits — the women especially," he said. And no one got sick." Hanley said he immediately radioed his base when the motor trouble became evident. But because of atmospheric conditions, he could not get through. Finally he made contact with a national guard plane which was landing at Van Nuys airport. The pilot relayed Hanley's message to the coast guard at Long Beach, which sent out a rescue ship. The sea was empty around the flying boat for an our before the coast guard ship arrived, Hanley said. The coast guard towed the plane to Terminal Island where it was berthed near the now inactive naval air station. Hanley said yesterday's trouble was the first crash landing his organization, Amphibian Air Transport, Inc., had had in two years of shuttling vacationers to Catalina.”
September 5, 1948 [photo]: “Catalina Island plane crash. Flying boat crashes in fog-shrouded take-off. Catalina Island, Calif. The crumpled plane of Amphibian Air Transport lies against cliff off Catalina Island. The pilot, Robert F. Reynolds, escaped death in the fog-shrouded crash, in what was called "a totally unauthorized" flight. Reynolds took off from the Seadrome in the fog, made a 180 degree turn and crashed into the island cliff. No passengers were aboard the craft at the time of the accident. Photo by Island Photo Service.”
