Rare Catalina flying boat touches down at Inverness Airport as part of 80th anniversary VC commemorations
A rare World War II flying boat has flown over Inverness in honour of two Catalina pilots who each received the Victoria Cross 80 years ago.
The special flight was in honour of Flt Lt John Cruickshank and Flt Lt David Hornell.
People across the area were treated to the sight of a Catalina as it stopped off at Inverness Airport today as part of a five-day journey which began at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, in Cambridgeshire to overfly several RAF Coastal Command bases.
Wartime flying boat to visit Inverness for 80th anniversary VC commemoration
Flt Lt John Cruickshank - one of Britain’s last surviving Victoria Cross holders - was awarded his medal for action on July 17 1944, flying a Catalina of 210 Squadron RAF out of Sullom Voe in Shetland.
A few weeks earlier, on June 24 that year, Flt Lt David Hornell, from Toronto in Canada, had been awarded a posthumous VC for his action flying a Catalina of 162 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron RCAF out of Wick.
Mr Cruickshank (104) lives in Aberdeen
This aircraft being used is G-PBYA, a PBY-5A Catalina flying boat, and is the last one still flying outside of the Americas.
Based at Duxford, it is owned by Catalina Aircraft Limited (CAL) operated by Plane Sailing Air Displays Ltd (PSADL) and supported by The Catalina Society (
The route of the anniversary flight, which will finish back at Duxford, includes the former RAF Coastal Command stations at Wick, Invergordon, Alness, Inverness and Oban and has also taken in Aberdeen, Lerwick and Sullom Voe.
