In December of 2011, Pemberton and Sons Aviation embarked on the restoration of the Grumman Goose. Here's six years of work and fun in raising this historic aircraft back to the skies.
Outstanding restoration! Nobody except you knows how much work this project involved. It's a huge airplane, but in the loving hands of all the craftsmen who put it back together, you should all be commended!
I worked for both Air Catalina and Catalina Airlines in the mid-70s. We flew Gooses to the Island and back all day long starting at 6:00AM. I always like the last flight as the pilots would let me fly us back (empty). I also caught many a rides to and from the Island in the bow baggage compartment! Love the sound of those engines!
I was a passenger many times over in the 70's on both Airlines, in fact my first flight ever was on a Goose. Back in those days they still landed in the Harbor, and taxied up to the green pier. Good times...good times. :)
Just wanted to express my gratitude for bringing her back to new condition. And thanks for allowing friends to assist, they did an amazing job as a group and I’m sure a couple of them are masters at their craft that are indispensable.
As a kid that grew up on an airport we had a Goose on the field. The man that owned it let me clamber through it. I still remember that, I'm now a pilot and a flight engineer on a B-25. The love of round motors are in my blood.
When I was a Coast Guard Aviation Machinist Mate Flight Mechanic on Grumman HU16e Albatross seaplanes I lived the smell of the first puff of Avgas and oil burnin'in in the morning. Definitely a wonderful elixir to a seaplane fan. Now I'd love to build a monster size RC version of the Goose or an Albatross ('Ol Goat). The sound of those radials turnin' over is pure Bliss if you truly care a radial engine lover.
Amen sir. 70 years on the odometer now but this kid trapped in an old mans body lived across the street from Wright Patterson AFB. Back in a day when there were just a few round motors and propellors around. Still love the smell of Av gas and burned oil. The rumble of an air cooled radial or the bark of a Merlin never fails to turn my head.
Thank you so much for saving this beautiful seaplane and for sharing the video. I have very fond memories of the Grumman Goose, flying to Catalina Island many years ago. It is a classic!
A magnificent restoration. A beautiful airplane. I love everything Grumman. Thank you for bringing a wonderful airplane back to life. I had the pleasure of making two flights in a Goose in 1954. Long Beach to Avalon and return via Avalon Air Transport. Two flights I will never forget. I was 18 then. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.
I helped restore a Goose at Dean Franklin Aviation back in the 89's He hired me because I was a Coast Guard Aviation Machinist Mate Flight Mechanic on Grumman HU16e Albatross seaplanes in the mid 70's. First flight on a rainy day, no problem. She was built to get wet so it's ba good christening. I'd have watched this if it hade been 4 times longer and shown more details like fitting out the cockpit area. Well, as a Coast Guard Aviation Machinist Mate Veteran Grumman HU16e Albatross seaplane Flight Mechanic I gotta say she's one beautiful bird. Just the wing paint livery 😇
Was this goose purchased from the Palm Springs air museum? The paint livery looks the same. If so that goose flew to Catalina in the 1940s flying for the first airline that used the goose over there. My dad used to take me down to pebbly beach to watch them take off and land back in the 70s. Always had a love affair with that aircraft after that. Flew in them several times. Last time was 2008 in Canada. Love the sound of those radial engines at full throttle! I’ll never forget it. Great job!!
Hello Pemberton and Son's. Good evening. Just watching your video on the Grumman Goose restoration. As an old guy a few months North of 70 and as a kid who lived just across the street from Wright Patterson AFB in a time when there were still a few radial engine aircraft in and out of that AFB I truly enjoyed watching this. I love aviation and aviation history. In particular military aviation of the WWII era. Oh! Did I mention that I'm Vietnam era Navy (Aviation Ordinanceman) Well enough of that except to say a hearty well done on that old Goose. She looks real good. I would love to have gone for a ride in that grand old gal. You folks so impressed me that you got a two fer.
Addison, GOD has blessed you with the ability to accomplish great thing and what is awesome is that your family is so involved…!!! I knew you when I was a mechanic for SOMA in its early days…!!!
I grew up on St.Thomas, USVI.. There was a seaplane service, “ Antilles Air Boats” that flew the Goose Along with a Sunderland and some PBY’s. My dad had a construction company and we flew on the seaplanes at least twice a month. The Goose was the work horse of the company and I flew along with my Dad, to St.Croix and back on those old planes. Later the owner of the company Captain Blair, would be killed on landing in St.Thomas harbor.
Watch you all doing rivets and getting them marked as redrive reminds me when I had sheet metal class when I was going through the Aviation Maintenance Program at Rock valley College getting my A&P rating. The instructor didn't like my rivets so I had them marked on a 3 foot long wing we had to make in order to pass the class. I loved sheet metal work in that program
Great effort into this restoration project, lovely plane and awesome people. BTW we did watch that TV show during early 80's and I was dreaming flying this aircraft. Greetings from Greece.
1965. I was in the Air Force and was assigned to Midway Island naval air station. There wasva " goose " that was used to fly over the island and look for sharks. One day a couple of us swimming on the " safe" beach. The water is shallow over a large area. This " Goose" kept dowm low over us. We thought they were just buzzing. They ended up sending Shore Patrol to tell us to get out of the water. There was a shark, it got passed the reef around the island. The Air Force was going to set up an Enroute Station for cargo air craft flying loads to Vietnam and returning back to the states.
"Jack" stuffed animal from Tales of the Golden Monkey, right? I've been flying the Goose in msfs 2020 and watching the old show. I love the goose. My uncle shared a Widgeon which I got to fly in. Great video. Happy Landings.
My prewar naval aviator dad has several flights as PIC in both the Goose and Widgeon when he was stationed at NAS Kodiak in 1948-49. He was the station operations Officer so he got his flight pay whenever the opportunity would arise. There he logged time in the JRF, JR2F, JM-1, PBY-5A, TBM and several others. All were oddball planes because he had no squadron assignment. I’m curious what the BuNo is.
I've always dreamed of owning one of the old flying boats and turning the inside of it into a camper. Then I could live on whatever lake I wanted to land on. Imagine owning a small fleet of them and flying them to renters who could stay in them for a week or so. It'd be a hell of a business. Not sure if you'd ever make any money doing it considering the insane cost of maintenance and operation, on top of the cost of hiring pilots to fly them back and forth. But it'd sure be unique and interesting.
Great video. Thank you for posting it. Where are the landing lights located on a Goose and what are the two inlets (?) on the leading edge one each side of the engines?
Yeah I found one part-time in some Quonset huts and and I want to board it and I like man I could never ever ever stop thinking about turning one into a motorhome and touring islands and being a kind of freight train and rescue ambulance and tour guide and a home same time on the water just those things are beautiful
I'd love to have been involved in this restoration. The Goose was a big part of my early childhood in Avalon on Catalina Island in the '50s. There were six or seven of them that transported passengers to and from Avalon and Long Beach Municipal Airi on the mainland. If my memory serves correctly the company was Avalon Air Transport. Although it changed names a few times over the years. I wonder how many of the folks in this video are Pembertons?
and fixing a wing tank from leaking using sealer. When I finally got my IA my dad hired me to do his Mooney M20C. That was a treat I wish not to do again
25:40 PENSO, COMO ERA FEITO ESSES AVIÕES NA DE NA DÉCADA DE 40 EM PLENA GUERRA, E TINHAM QUE SER FEITOS RÁPIDO, ERAM MUITOS SENDO FEITOS 🛩️ E MUITAS MÃOS TRABALHANDO.
Everytime I see a bunch of guys handling aircraft parts there is always someone acting up ,remember it happens when my dad and his friends always drug home another plane, kids with a new TOY
Must be real nice and satisfying to pump the life blood back into old birds like this, - the only reason I'd like to be a billionaire - to restore cars boats and planes - fab guys!
