Flightpath AugustSeptemberOctober 2017

10 |FLIGHTPATH

News

On17April2017,GrummanGooseN

flewagainafterafiveyearrestoration

from Spokane airport, Washington State,

USA, with test and conversion pilot Fred

Ballatthecontrols.Theaircraftisowned

by Pemberton & Sons Aviation and, follow-

ing trouble free initial shakedowns, father

Addison Pemberton and his sons have

converted to type. The aircraft has al-

ready clocked up tens of hours and has

been returned to water alightings and

takeoffs,aswellasdrylandoperation,

much to the enjoyment of the family young

and old, and good reward for the team, in-

cludingvolunteerswhoputinanestimat-

ed8,000hoursworkontherebuild.

Restored in US Navy colours as flown from

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (Washing-

tonState),theaircraftwasoperatedinthe

U K du r i n g W.W. I I. A J R F- 6B (Gr u m m a n’s

G21Amodel),itwasbuiltasserialnumber

1161, and allocated the British serial BW814,

but in the end was allocated to the US Navy

as Bu 66331. Registered as N95467 in 1957, it

passed through numerous owners, notably

USOilInc,ofHoustonTexas,SoutheastAir-

lines of Miami, Florida, and became Antilles

AirBoats’firstaircraftin1964.Endingup

withthePalmSpringsAirMuseuminCali-

fornia, it was displayed statically there with

theclippedwingtipsfortheretractablefloat

modification, but fitted with fixed floats. It

has been restored with LED strobe lighting,

Goose Flies & Alights

MAIN:The Pemberton’s Grumman JRF-6B Goose cavorts over the scenic local area close to the home town of

Spokane, Washington.[Ryan Pemberton]

ABOVE:The Pemberton family ‘aboard’. From left, Ryan, Grant, Addison, and in the cabin door, Shalyn Applegate.

[via Ryan Pemberton]