It’s open house time, and in addition to the Neptune, we see a P5M Marlin cruising over NAS Whidbey’s Ault Field. They belong, respectively, to VP-2, and VP-47.
Whidbey was home to both aircraft and in the base’s former seaplane days, these dissimilar aircraft operated from the same station but in two geographically separated locales. Reason: Whidbey Island’s topography does not allow for a seaplane base and a landplane base in a single location. Therefore, the former is a few miles distant from the latter.
The P5M Marlin, being a straight flying boat (decidedly non-amphibious), won’t be landing at Ault Field anytime soon; it can only gaze down at the runways below. Conversely, the Neptune (also decidedly non-amphibious) would face a similar quandary while flying over the water/runway at the seaplane base.
The Jive Bomber 