1
Swords to Plowshares GB / Re: My take on Swords into Ploughshares
« Last post by Jonesthetank on Today at 10:04:38 PM »John Sullivan – Aerial Yachtsman
The idea of an aerial yacht was one that had flourished on a small scale in the 1930s. After WW2, the availability of surplus aircraft, most notably flying boats, meant that this notion would see light again.
John Sullivan, a Seattle based lumber businessman, was one who took the idea and ran with it. Sullivan had flown PBM Mariners with the USN during WW2, so knew the capabilities of the type well. He was able to purchase 2 PBM5A amphibians and 2 PBM3S from USN surplus and would use these to build himself and his family a flying yacht.
Fitted with an improved galley, individual cabins, additional viewing spaces and a small motor boat that was carried under the wing, Sullivan took his air yacht on many excursions. The type’s amphibious capabilities meant Sullivan was able to travel to places across North and Central America, using the “Freedom Bird” as his flying caravan and base for further holiday adventures.
Eventually as Sullivan’s children grew up and left home, the need for such a large aircraft declined and the Freedom Bird was finally grounded in 1962. It was stored in a hangar at Paine Field, Everett for many years and was eventually presented to Museum of Flight, Seattle, after John Sullivan died in 1992.
The idea of an aerial yacht was one that had flourished on a small scale in the 1930s. After WW2, the availability of surplus aircraft, most notably flying boats, meant that this notion would see light again.
John Sullivan, a Seattle based lumber businessman, was one who took the idea and ran with it. Sullivan had flown PBM Mariners with the USN during WW2, so knew the capabilities of the type well. He was able to purchase 2 PBM5A amphibians and 2 PBM3S from USN surplus and would use these to build himself and his family a flying yacht.
Fitted with an improved galley, individual cabins, additional viewing spaces and a small motor boat that was carried under the wing, Sullivan took his air yacht on many excursions. The type’s amphibious capabilities meant Sullivan was able to travel to places across North and Central America, using the “Freedom Bird” as his flying caravan and base for further holiday adventures.
Eventually as Sullivan’s children grew up and left home, the need for such a large aircraft declined and the Freedom Bird was finally grounded in 1962. It was stored in a hangar at Paine Field, Everett for many years and was eventually presented to Museum of Flight, Seattle, after John Sullivan died in 1992.