The Catalina purchased by the Sea Plane Pilots' Association.

THE Catalina flying boats of the Royal Australian Air Force have a rich and varied history.

Dubbed by some as the "ugly duckling" of combat aircraft, the Catalina played a significant role in Australia's involvement in the Second World War, flying top-secret missions at night and using its incredible range to carry enormous weights long distances.

With a top speed less than that of a modern car, Catalinas had the capacity to stay in the air for more than 24 hours at a time.

As a result, they were used to carry out bombing raids as far away as China, to mine harbours in Japan and sometimes for maritime surveillance and rescues at sea.

The Catalina story is indeed a fascinating tale; one that deserves to be told on the small screen, according to freelance cameraman and producer Alex Bonazzi.

Mr Bonazzi, of the New South Wales city of Queanbeyan, is partway through making a documentary on the Catalinas, their crew and their involvement in war.

He said the hour-long piece would document factual recollections and historical images of what the four Catalina squadrons - 11SQN, 20SQN, 41SQN and 42SQN - did in the war.

Mr Bonazzi's interest in the Catalina flying boats was first sparked by a chance meeting with Sir Richard Kingsland, the patron of the Australian Catalina Association and a former Squadron Leader, Wing Commander and Commanding Officer of No. 20 Squadron, based at Rathmines near Newcastle.

Thanks to an invitation from Sir Richard, Mr Bonazzi shot the first pieces of footage for the documentary at a reunion of Catalina crew members held at Port Stephens in October 2000.

"Talking to those guys, they've all got such an inner desire and passion within them," Mr Bonazzi said.

His documentary will feature interviews with these former crew members and shots of the reunion, coupled with black and white archival footage in order to tell the Catalina story.

But it's an event scheduled for late next month that Mr Bonazzi believes will be the icing on the cake as far as his production is concerned.

A Catalina flying boat, originally tracked down in Portugal and purchased by the Sea Plane Pilots' Association (SPPA) for $600,000, is scheduled to land in Darwin at the end of July.

The aircraft will be the only fully operational Catalina in the country and Mr Bonazzi, who played a part in bringing it to Australia, will be in Darwin to document this historic moment.
The Catalina was originally located by SPPA president Phil Delhunty.

Entrepreneur Dick Smith chipped in the bulk of the initial funds, while a video made free of charge for the SPPA by Mr Bonazzi helped raise the extra $200,000 needed to purchase the aircraft.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

The final chapter in Mr Bonazzi's documentary will occur in October, when it's hoped the Catalina will land at this year's reunion of the Catalina crew, being held at Lake Boga. Naturally, Mr Bonazzi and his video camera will be there.

"I think it's a good yarn," he said. "When people see and hear things about this old plane that lands on water, I mean it's like Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines," he enthused.

"And the fact that we're going to have one flying in the skies here in Australia, that's a fascinating hook."

By Ben Caddaye