Thousands witnessed the final landing of the historic Hawaii Martin Mars, a legendary aircraft that fought wildfires in B.C. for more than 50 years. The massive aircraft departed from its longtime base at Sproat Lake in Port Alberni and landed in Saanich Inlet, before heading to its new home at the B.C. Aviation Museum. …Earlier this year, Coulson Aviation, the company that purchased the Hawaii Martin Mars in 2007, announced it is donating the aircraft to the B.C. Aviation Museum, calling it a “grand ending to a great history”, Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Aviation said. …The Hawaii Mars was one of six prototypes produced by the U.S. navy in the 1940s for large-scale transport between the West Coast and Hawaii. …The Mars was later converted to serve as the largest air ambulance during the Korean War, and in 1958, B.C.’s forest industry purchased four Mars and repurposed them into wildfire-fighting machines.
In related coverage:
- Times Colonist – Thousands greet Martin Mars water bomber on Vancouver Island
- Black Press – Hawaii Mars waterbomber takes its final flight