This Saturday, September 25, the museum will open early for a special presentation about the PBY Catalina and its multiple roles in the South Pacific during World War II. PBY stands for Patrol Bomber produced by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation. There's no additional charge for this event —- just purchase a ticket to the museum and arrive early so you can be in place for the presentation.

This one-hour event will be held at 9 am in the WestPac Hangar located on the museum campus. The presentation will be made in front of the museum’s PBY, which will be flown subject to weather conditions and runway availability.

The PBY, originally a water-only flying boat but later an amphibious aircraft, was one of the most famous and most numerous of its type in WWII. PBYs were used for reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, bombing missions, convoy escort duties, search and rescue missions, and as a cargo transport. It is probably best known for its role in the South Pacific as both a night attack and rescue aircraft. The presentation will focus on these dual missions. It will also tell the stories of one PBY pilot who was awarded the Medal of Honor and another who went on to play an important role in Colorado government. It will cover the history of the PBY (N427CV) resident at the museum. There are approximately 17 airworthy examples around the world with only 7 potentially flyable in the United States. Bring your "legacy camera" with the long telephoto lens for some good pictures of the aircraft airborne.

Colonel Gene Pfeffer (USAF-retired), the museum's Curator and Historian, will tell the story of Black Cats and Dumbos.

The schedule for the event is as follows:

8:00 am           Doors Open

9:00 am           Presentation

9:45 am           PBY Walk-Around and Start-Up

10:00 am          PBY Taxi and Take-Off

For more information, contact the museum’s Front Desk at 719 637-7559 or visit

https://www.worldwariiaviation.org/pr…/ticket-to-the-museum/.