WWII Airplanes Take Flight
By Craig Reed
Soaring by the Sea Foundation gives veterans and plane enthusiasts 1-of-a-kind experiences.
The PBY Catalina airplane is credited with rescuing many airplane pilots and ship crews who were adrift in water during World War II. It’s also credited with sinking a German U-boat.
The twin-engine, parasol-mounted monoplane was equipped with a flying boat hull, retractable tricycle landing gear and retractable wing-tip floats. The PBY patrol bomber could land on land and water, allowing the aircraft and its crew to perform water rescues.
The P-40 Warhawk is an American single-seat fighter bomber that first flew in 1938 and was used by the United States and most Allied nations during World War II. It was known for its durability and was used for ground attack and bomber escort.
The histories of these 2 types of planes and their many adventures are shared today through a 1943 PBY and a P-40 that are owned by the Soaring by the Sea Foundation. The foundation and its planes are based in a hangar at 29030 Hollis Lane near the Eugene Airport. There are only a few of these operable planes that still exist today.
“It’s an honor to carry the history forward of this plane,” says Jennifer Pfaff. “1 of our goals is to get as many veterans on board, especially those who served on a PBY and the World War II Jennifer is the daughter of Stu Barr, who had the idea of finding and resurrecting a PBY to share its history. Stu grew up around a Texas air base and loves history, especially military history.
Coy Pfaff, Stu’s grandson, was tasked with finding a PBY after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2013 to 2017. He was in France in late 2018 when he found a man who had a collection of a dozen aircraft and wanted to sell off the larger ones. 1 of those was the 1943 PYB.
A group of anonymous donors bought the plane in 2019. After the Soaring by the Sea Foundation was established in 2020, the plane was donated to the nonprofit.
“A lot of the plane was OK, but it needed some new equipment for a long trip,” Coy says.
After 6 weeks of maintenance on the aircraft and Coy planning out a route, the plane lifted off for the journey to Oregon in June 2019. Stu sponsored the trip, and 6 people, including Coy and 3 PBY-certified pilots, made the trip.
“Stu was standing there with thumbs up in the air,” Jennifer says of the landing in Eugene. “Hundreds of people welcomed the plane. It was an emotional day. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.”
Over the next few days, 4 flights a day were made, giving veterans and those interested the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the plane or to experience it for the first time.
“When I got on the airplane, it resonated with me that parents had no idea what their sons were doing during that war,” Jennifer says. “What sons went through at that time, got my heart. It made me fall in love with this plane. And I got to have my son come home with it.”
Dennis Egts, a Eugene resident, visited the plane and took a look inside it.
“I’m in awe of the construction of the plane,” he says. “I looked at the signatures on the plane’s wall of the people who served on it.
The nostalgia, what it has done, the history of it, that it still exists from that confrontation, it’s all amazing. You can get up close and personal with its history.”
The P-40 was bought by the Soaring by the Sea Foundation earlier this year when it was discovered in New Zealand. The plane served in the Australian Air Force in the South Pacific area during WWII and was involved in aerial combat but was damaged during a landing and abandoned in New Guinea.
It was recovered in the 1970s and restored in New Zealand. After the foundation purchased it, the plane was disassembled and the parts shipped to Eugene where it was reconstructed.
“The first test flight in September went well,” Coy says. “It’ll make an excellent addition to the PBY.”
Taking a flight on the PBY or ground tours of planes is available by going online and making a reservation through the Soaring by the Sea Foundation’s website.
The planes will be on display at several air shows during 2025. Check the website for the show schedule.
Jennifer says any donations to help with the maintenance and expenses of the Soaring by the Sea Foundation’s planes are tax deductible.
“We attend the air shows to share the planes with people,” Coy says. “The biggest challenge is money to keep them operable. Maintenance is always a challenge—finding the labor, the parts, and the funding to keep them air-worthy. Parts can be made from original drawings, but they’re expensive.
“We’re there to share the history, to keep them in the air, and to share with people.”
