Air tanker museum to get a P2V

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Fixed wingTags ,


I talked with Bob Hawkins yesterday about the Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting which is located at Greybull, Wyoming. It turns out that he is a director of the museum.

He said this P2V-7 at one time belonged to Hawkins and Powers but was auctioned off when the company went out of business. It was given to the museum by Richard Camp who is the head of the “Save a Neptune” organization. This aircraft was never converted into an air tanker, but Bob hopes to get one someday that actually was an air tanker.

(I was thinking that Neptune Aviation or Minden might have something sitting around.)

Some of you may know Bob. He was the “Hawkins” in “Hawkins and Powers” that operated air tankers out of the Greybull Airport. Now he’s flying helicopters for Sky Aviation in Worland, Wyoming.

Articles on Fire Aviation about the museum.

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6 thoughts on “Air tanker museum to get a P2V”

  1. Dan Hawkins was the “Hawkins” in Hawkins and Powers Aviation.
    I had the privilege of flying hundreds of hours with Bob in his Hughes 500 and John Moberly in his Alouette III during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s doing seismic exploration in and around the Rocky Mountains. Those were some of the most exciting times of my life!
    I was extremely sad to learn H&P Aviation had gone out of business.

    I LUV ROTORCRAFT!!

  2. Bill,
    Didn’t you post a story recently about former Neptune Aviation Services (former) Tanker 15, A P2V undergoing some level of restoration in advance of it being placed on a pedestal at the entrance to the Missoula Airport?

      1. Bill – Thanks for the info on the Greybull Tanker Museum. I became very familiar with Hawkins & Power aircraft and I flew with Bob Hawkins out of Lewistown MT for a couple of years. I now live about a mile from Neptune Aviation in Missoula. They have quite a few retired P2V tankers sitting at the end of the airport. With their transition to the newer BAe 146 they may be willing to talk.

  3. I flew both the PB4Y2 and 4500 pilot hours in the P2V – 2,3,3W and 5F. I am now 88 years old.

    1. Mr Pickering,im assuming those hours were accumulated while in the service?..and i want to thank you for your service to keep my family and i safe,as well as the rest of our country mates and world wide friends.again,,thank you sir!…means alot to me.

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