Ephrata to say ‘goodbye’ to longtime resident aircraft flown in the 1989 Hollywood film ‘Always’
EPHRATA -Ephrata will soon lose a piece of its history after the Port of Ephrata’s longtime aviation relic was sold at an auction earlier this month.
Built between the late 1930’s and mid-1940’s, the PBY Catalina has been a permanent relic at the Port of Ephrata since it was cast in the Hollywood film ‘Always’ in 1989. Over the years, the plane’s idle state and prolonged exposure to the elements has rendered it inoperable.
Port of Ephrata Director David Lanman says the once airborne antique was bought by the Yanks Air Museum out of Chino, California during an auction at the airfield on Nov. 3. Lanman says the plane had been without an owner for 13 years after its prior owner, the Flying Fox out of Canada, dissolved in 2010.
“I was like, why is that PBY just sitting here,” Lanman told Source ONE News. Lanman says he took the initiative to impound the aircraft after he officially confirmed it didn’t have an owner. Lanman says the Port hasn’t received any funding to tie down the plane and store it at the airstrip in 13 years. After impounding it, Lanman says the state gave the Port the ok to sell the aircraft. The PBY Catalina sold for $32,000 at the auction; all proceeds will go to the state. Laman noted that the plane would have sold more if there were any records on it, but none could be found.
Lanman says the Yanks Air Museum will disassemble the ‘flying boat’ in March and transport it to the museum where it will be fully restored and retrofitted with parts from another PBY Catalina. The airship will be used as a static display at the museum.