The B.C. authorities offered a $250,000 grant for the airplane to ‘shield and protect’ it
The Hawaii Martin Mars, well-known for placing out fires with a single flyover, will discover its new dwelling at North Saanich’s BC Aviation Museum within the fall.
“You possibly can see the DNA of the Mars story runs via this Island,” mentioned Richard Mosdell, Save the Mars undertaking lead.
The 60-by-36-metre Martin Mars will fly down the east coast of the Island earlier than it arrives on the Victoria Airport for its last resting place.
“It will do airplane yoga round all of the buildings, throughout the airport runway in the midst of the night time,” he mentioned.
On Thursday (March 28), the B.C. authorities offered a $250,000 grant to “shield and protect” the airplane that had been instrumental in defending the forests of the West Coast. The water bomber’s last flight to the Saanich Inlet beside Victoria Worldwide Airport from Coulson Aviation Tanker Base on Sproat Lake in Port Alberni is predicted to happen in October 2024.
Initially, the airplane was used to hold troops over the Pacific Islands to the Korean Conflict, earlier than discovering its subsequent function as a water bomber.
“It dropped a large quantity of water, extra water than has ever been dropped earlier than. After which they retired in 2015.”
Mosdell mentioned he had fallen in love with the airplane and that seeing the airplane overhead all the time gave him a way of security.
“My dad and I related over our love of this plane.”
The water bomber was the most important operational flying boat on this planet, in accordance with the museum’s president Steve Nichol.
“It’s now out of date, and it wanted a brand new dwelling – and the BC Aviation Musem will present that new dwelling,” he mentioned.
Though the exhibit shouldn’t be but open to the general public, Nichol mentioned will probably be accessible at its new location, permitting individuals to see the Hawaii Martin Mars up shut.
The airplane, Mosdell mentioned, is similar measurement as a Boeing 747, and lots of teams have tried to convey it to the museum however have discovered it too tough.
“One of the best puzzles on this planet to determine are the toughest. And we figured it out.”
READ MORE: Historic B.C. Martin Mars water bomber will fly one final time
