In the dark of night, the bright red and white Martin Mars parked in a lot at the Canadian Coast Guard station in North Saanich will inch along to its new home outside the BC Aviation Museum.

With comments such as still resonating from the Aug. 11 historic final flight and landing, Richard Mosdell headed for the dock at Patricia Bay a couple days later to get the water bomber onto dry land.

B次元官网网址淚t's been a massive preparing operation,B次元官网网址� Mosdell said of the next leg of the aircraftB次元官网网址檚 journey.

A Peninsula company happily hustled to make last-minute adjustments happen to get the iconic plane ashore. 

B次元官网网址淵esterday was an amazing day,B次元官网网址� said Mike Edwardson, owner of Villamar Construction. B次元官网网址淲hen itB次元官网网址檚 crunch time and thereB次元官网网址檚 so much at stake, thatB次元官网网址檚 when you know what somebodyB次元官网网址檚 made of. IB次元官网网址檓 just beaming today with so much pride in my team.B次元官网网址�

A BC Aviation Museum member called on the local company after a last-minute flag that there needed to be a larger margin for error on the exit ramp from the waters of Patricia Bay. 

B次元官网网址淗e didnB次元官网网址檛 get three words in and we were like, B次元官网网址榊es weB次元官网网址檒l make it happen',B次元官网网址� Edwardson said.

The ramp at the Institute of Ocean Sciences was too narrow by a few inches for the plane to fit when factoring in landing gear and room for cold water divers to navigate. A nearby dock piling was deemed in the way of the wing clearance, he explained. 

Villamar had machinery and boots on the ground in 30 minutes under the capable leadership of site manager Drew Mackie, an aviation enthusiast and Save the Mars cheerleader whoB次元官网网址檇 already visited it during its final days on Sproat Lake.

B次元官网网址淲e just believe when push comes to shove you have to show up. It was the hugest compliment BC Aviation would put their trust in us in such a pivotal moment," Edwardson said. 

After finishing the alterations, the Villamar team joined Nickel Bros. in hand guiding the plane into shore to finish the dewatering, which includes a freshwater bath to remove salt water and corrosion.

Once planted in its massive reserved parking spot, Nickel Bros. B次元官网网址� a company known for its large building moves across coastal B.C. B次元官网网址� needed about five days to build a cradle for the massive aircraft.

The bomber will make a midnight move sometime during the week of Aug. 19 to 23, with specifics intentionally withheld for safety reasons, across the coast guard base, West Saanich Road and Victoria International Airport land to arrive at its new home at BC Aviation Museum.

Mosdell served as project lead on the Save the Mars campaign that officially landed the iconic and historic water bomber in the hands of the aviation museum on Norseman Road near the airport. Coulson Aviation announced the donation of its Second World War-era converted water bomber to the museum in spring 2023.

Hawaii Mars is one of two remaining Martin JRM-3 Mars water bombers. It flew cargo between Hawaii and the Pacific Islands during the Second World War and supported the Korean War with medical transport between Hawaii and California before transitioning to cargo operations. They were sold to a consortium of B.C. timber companies in 1958 and converted into the worldB次元官网网址檚 largest water bombers to fight forest fires, carrying 27,000 litres per drop.

Coulson bought them in 2007, marking the start of its fixed-wing air tanker operations for aerial wildfire support. Coulson retired its Mars water bombers in 2015. The Philippine Mars is heading to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Ariz.

The final Mars flight and landing in North Saanich was so popular the www.bcam.net website crashed, Mosdell noted, adding the live stream of the event continued growing at 2,000 to 5,000 an hour even two days later.

B次元官网网址淭he museum is doing a wide-ranging collection of stills and video interviews with everyone related,B次元官网网址� Mosdell said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 for our archives.B次元官网网址�

Two separate crews are documenting the process B次元官网网址� one for Coulson and one for the BC Aviation Museum archives B次元官网网址� including the epic final flight in formation alongside the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.

Once Hawaii Mars is settled at the BC Aviation Museum as part of its existing B.C. Wildfire Aviation Exhibit, the goal is to build a new hangar dedicated to wildfire fighting. Find the online fundraiser at .

It starts as a closed display where visitors are welcome to walk around the outside of the aircraft while different crews complete the final open display preparations.

The museum hosts an official ribbon cutting, launching the B次元官网网址渙penB次元官网网址� display format on Saturday, Sept. 28. At that time, guests may explore inside the aircraft and even sit in the pilotB次元官网网址檚 seat.