Mighty Martin Mars saved!
After greater than two years of negotiations on the enduring Martin Mars waterbomber C-FLYL ‘Hawaii Mars’ (c/n 9267) its future appears secured ultimately. The present proprietor, Coulson Aviation has lastly agreed to promote this gigantic flying boat to the British Columbia Aviation Museum (BCAM). Recognizing the worth of the aircraft in Canadian aviation historical past, the BC Ministry of Tourism, Tradition, Sport and Arts introduced a USD 250,000 grant in the direction of the rescue flight preparation!
However earlier than the Mars could be handed over to the brand new proprietor and could be displayed within the museum ‘some issues’ need to be carried out. The actual fact is that, after an operational profession of greater than half of a century, C-FLYL made its final fireplace combating flights in 2015. Since then it was seldom flown, one of many final public outings was a visit to Oshkosh throughout Air Enterprise 2016.
We at Scramble should not conscious of the date of its closing flight till now, so if any of you readers would share this data at social at scramble.nl, we’d be grateful. For certain is that it must be ready for the ultimate flight from its present location at Sproat Lake to the Saanich Inlet close to the Victoria Worldwide Airport the place the museum is located.
Coulson Aviation will enlist 5 former licensed upkeep engineers and 4 flight crew to finish about 10,000 hours of plane preparation and flight retraining over the subsequent six months to arrange the red-and-white Hawaii Martin Mars for its final flight. This closing flight is anticipated earlier than the top of 2024 and can be a multi-phased course of that features passing federal inspections, crew coaching and check flights. A flight plan is anticipated to be closely publicized so folks alongside the route will have the ability to see the aircraft fly a final time.
After touchdown at its closing vacation spot, the Mars can be introduced up on a ramp at Canadian Coast Guard Base Patricia Bay, a former seaplane port, mounted on a trailer in a swivelling cradle and transported throughout Victoria Worldwide Airport runways. The museum is elevating funds to construct a brand new hangar to accommodate the Martin Mars Hawaii and different B.C. firefighting plane on land donated by the Victoria Airport Authority. The brand new exhibit can be interactive, inviting guests to discover the options of the plane up shut.
The Hawaii is one in all solely two Martin Mars water bombers left. The opposite, C-FLYK ‘Philippine Mars'(ex BuNo 76820, c/n 9264), was retired in 2012 and isn’t thought of airworthy. There have been plans for its sale to the Nationwide Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola (FL) and because of this it was repainted in its authentic US Navy colors. However the sale has, for numerous causes, not seen a follow-up and C-FLYK nonetheless stays on the Coulson air base.
Scramble reported earlier on the attainable sale of ‘Hawaii Mars’ right here !
Picture: British Columbia Aviation Museum
