The Hawaii Mars water bomber will probably be taking one last flight.
The long-lasting red-and-white Martin Mars water bomber will probably be flying to its new residence on the British Columbia Aviation Museum later this yr, after a $250,000 funding announcement by the province. The funding will “shield and protect” the Hawaii Mars “as a big a part of B.C.’s aviation historical past,” says the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Tradition and Sport.
The water bomber’s last flight from Coulson Aviation Tanker Base on Sproat Lake in Port Alberni to the Saanich Inlet beside Victoria Worldwide Airport is predicted to happen earlier than the top of 2024 and will probably be a multi-phase course of that entails passing federal inspections, crew coaching and take a look at flights.
Coulson Aviation will enlist 5 former licensed upkeep engineers and 4 flight crew to finish roughly 10,000 hours of plane preparation and flight retraining over six months.
READ MORE: Martin Mars waterbombers firefighting days are previous: Coulson
On the British Columbia Aviation Museum, the plane will probably be established because the centrepiece of a brand new B.C. wildfire aviation exhibit. The brand new exhibit will probably be interactive, inviting guests to discover the options of the plane up shut and foster an appreciation for its historic, cultural and aeronautical significance.
The Hawaii Mars was one among 5 Martin Mars plane initially conceived as army bombers in the US throughout the Second World Struggle. It began service in 1945 as a transport plane for the US Navy.
It was later bought by a consortium of timber corporations in British Columbia and transformed to a water bomber to guard the timber lands on Vancouver Island. In 2006, it was bought—together with the Philippine Mars—to Port Alberni’s Coulson Aviation.
The Hawaii Mars hasn’t taken half in firefighting motion since 2015, when the province signed a 30-day settlement to make use of the plane. The contract was not renewed.
Extra to come back…
