Fermanagh Seaplane Festival 2011

03/01/2021

World War Two seaplane tenders return to Lough Erne

The Sunderlands and Catalinas, stationed on Lough Erne at RAF Castle Archdale during World War Two, are legends of that conflict.
They helped detect the German battleship, the Bismarck, in 1941.
But they would never even have reached the sky without the tenders that serviced them.
"All seaplane bases had tenders to bring crew out to the planes and bring them back in again," said Fred Ternan, of Lough Erne Heritage.



For more info, click on the link:

://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55396905?at_medium=custom7&at_custom3=BBC+News+NI&at_custom2=facebook_page&at_custom1=link&at_custom4=500B4C68-4CD4-11EB-AEBC-A4374D484DA4&at_campaign=64&fbclid=IwAR1XeX-PQZIJHpLSIzVx9LmTLkMCpUUOJZPoM2bCg4FGuFcxn-lugaTjwOM

Retired builder, Seamus Gormley, reconstructed the models that serviced flying wartime boats.

24/12/2019

The 1944 Portmore Lough Christmas Eve crash remembered

Royal Navy pilot Peter Lock was on his way to a Christmas party when his plane went down.

04/07/2019

World War II seaplane found in Lough Erne

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During the the festival in 2011, some of our attendees from America where interested in bringing tech over to look for this aircraft.... well done to those that have finally found it.

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Lough Erne has revealed a secretive past, with the discovery of a World War II seaplane at the bottom of the lough.

The site was initially surveyed by members of the Charts Special Interest Group (CSIG) in 2018. They reported an anomaly that they thought to be a WWII aircraft, probably a Catalina, lying in a depth of c. 45m in Lower Lough Erne. Following discussions with DAERA’s maritime archaeologist Rory McNeary, it was decided to undertake a sonar survey to conduct an assessment of the site to clarify the nature of the anomaly and confirm the identification and survival of the remains.

Rory McNeary, a Marine Archaeologist at DAERA said: “We are grateful to Robert Navan and Mike Kingston of CSIG, IWAI for bringing the remains of this Catalina to light. Had the site not been reported a unique underwater heritage asset would have been overlooked.

“Studying the seaplane will be of immense interest to professional and amateur historians alike. Given that there is still the possibility of human remains and unexploded ordnance being found at the site we would ask people to fully recognise its protected status. I have no doubt that there are more exciting underwater archaeological discoveries to be made in Lough Erne.”

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Photo caption - The Lough Erne Survey Team – (from top left) – Robert Navan (Skipper of Aquarius & CSIG, IWAI), Les Saunders (CSIG, IWAI), Mike Kingston (CSIG, IWAI) – (from bottom left) – Tim Mackie (DAERA), Ronnie Snijder (DAERA), Rory McNeary (Marine Archaeologist, DAERA).

Source: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/world-war-ii-seaplane-found-lough-erne Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Lough Erne has revealed a secretive past, with the discovery of a World War II seaplane at the bottom of the lough.

06/06/2019

A 92-year-old veteran in Thomasville is recalling his own experience while serving in World War II.

James Deckle and his son own the Power of the Past Aviation Museum at the Thomasville Regional Airport.

A 92-year-old veteran in Thomasville remembers D-Day, while serving in World War II.

03/12/2017

Michael Smith tells how he became the first person to travel solo around the world in an amphibious aircraft - and nearly died in the process

03/09/2017

Anyone got a spare $1billion ?

China’s Zongshen Group, a manufacturer of generators and engines, said in March it was seeking to purchase a stake in the biggest seaplane airline in the Maldives. Tourists from mainland China accounted for 25 percent of arrivals in Maldives, making the nation among the biggest contributors to the local economy.

https://skift.com/2017/09/03/blackstone-looking-to-sell-seaplane-operator-in-the-maldives/

Blackstone Group LP may cash out from the Maldives, the tropical island chain known for its white-sand beaches and turquoise seascapes. The buyout firm is

20/06/2017

Great festival taking place in Donegal this weekend

http://www.tirchonaillstonefestival.com

20/05/2017

Amazing work from our friend Michael Hoy

Stonecarver Michael Hoy carves a personalised headstone for a well known television presenter

09/03/2017

Superb - thank you for sharing guys.

Very few people know that alot of people behind the scenes got to relive a significant part of their life by coming to see and fly in these aircraft once again - some of the guys had not been up in 70 years...

It was heart breaking and wonderful to hear all the stories....and without all the people who helped in this project some of those stories may have been lost for ever....forever grateful :)

In 2011 I took some photos at the Seaplane Festival on Lough Erne, at Killadeas. During the Second World War, Catalina and Sunderland flying boats flew from there. The festival had two of the three Catalinas which remain flying in Europe.
I recently discovered that the Scottish father in law of a friend had been stationed and flown from there during the war. He is 93 years of age this year, and I was delighted to frame a print of the Catalina taking off from Loch Erne for him!
Apparently he had a wee tear in his eye when his son in law delivered it, and he has a few tales to tell of his time in Fermanagh.

Photo and info sent in by Colin Robinson

Note by Old Enniskillen page: lovely gesture Colin

19/02/2017

China first unveiled the aircraft, AG600, in July last year.

28/10/2016

"Most intriguing photo of a Catalina PBY-5 during wartime ops in Papua/ New Guinea. The pic gives a perfect impression of what happened in many jungle covered islands of the SW Pacific. After the war, Shell took over some of the PBY-5A’s and simply continued those ops, but now for oil exploration in Borneo."

Great story, check it out: https://www.dc3dakotahunter.com/blog/catalina-pby-5-operations-in-sw-pacific-during-and-after-wwii/

17/10/2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_seaplanes_and_amphibious_aircraft

The following is a list of seaplanes and amphibious aircraft, which includes floatplanes and flying boats, by country of origin.