The Hawaii Mars water bomber will be taking one final flight.

The iconic red-and-white Martin Mars water bomber will be flying to its new home at the British Columbia Aviation Museum in Victoria later this year, after a $250,000 funding announcement by the province. The funding will B次元官网网址減rotect and preserveB次元官网网址� the Hawaii Mars B次元官网网址渁s a significant part of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 aviation history,B次元官网网址� says the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.

The water bomberB次元官网网址檚 final flight from Coulson Aviation Tanker Base on Sproat Lake in Port Alberni to the Saanich Inlet beside Victoria International Airport is expected to take place before the end of 2024 and will be a multi-phase process that involves passing federal inspections, crew training and test flights.

Coulson Aviation will enlist five former certified maintenance engineers and four flight crew to complete approximately 10,000 hours of aircraft preparation and flight retraining over six months. Pete Killin and Rick Matthews are two of the pilots that will be taking the Martin Mars on its final flight. Killin has more than 1,000 hours of flying time in the Mars.

B次元官网网址淚t deserves a proper resting place,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 think of a better place than to be the main attraction for the firefighting industry.B次元官网网址� He said the final water drop B次元官网网址渨ill be the pilots crying.B次元官网网址�

At the British Columbia Aviation Museum, the aircraft will be established as the centrepiece of a new B.C. wildfire aviation exhibit. The new exhibit will be interactive, inviting visitors to explore the features of the aircraft up close and foster an appreciation for its historical, cultural and aeronautical significance.

B次元官网网址淚 am fascinated by this aircraft and its historical ties to British Columbia,B次元官网网址� tourism minister Lana Popham said while standing under the giant wing of the Hawaii Mars.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a proud symbol of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 ingenuity, innovation and it is an impressive example of reuse, recycle and repurpose. If it werenB次元官网网址檛 for a group of B.C. timber companies envisioning a new use for these aircraft, they might not have been part of B.C. history.B次元官网网址�

The Hawaii Mars was one of five Martin Mars aircraft originally conceived as military bombers in the United States during the Second World War. It started service in 1945 as a transport aircraft for the United States Navy.

It was later purchased by a consortium of timber companies in British Columbia and converted to a water bomber to protect the timber lands on Vancouver Island. In 2007, it was soldB次元官网网址攁long with the Philippine MarsB次元官网网址攖o Port AlberniB次元官网网址檚 Coulson Aviation.

The Hawaii Mars hasnB次元官网网址檛 taken part in firefighting action since 2015, when the province signed a 30-day agreement to use the aircraft. The contract was not renewed.

B次元官网网址淚t was the beginning in 2007 of our fixed wing air firefighting program,B次元官网网址� said Gary Collinge, representing the Coulson family at the announcement. Collinge has worked with Coulson Aviation in a variety of roles for 50 years. He said the Coulson family is B次元官网网址渢hrilledB次元官网网址� that the Hawaii Mars will stay on Vancouver Island. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e excited to participate and support this whole program.B次元官网网址�

The project will cost approximately $1 million to move the Hawaii Mars and house it in Victoria, said project lead Richard Mosdell of the B.C. Aviation Museum. The museum is raising half a million dollars, the Coulson family is donating another half million and Heritage Canada is expected to contribute in the future, he said. The Victoria Airport Authority has given the museum some land where the Hawaii Mars will sit until a new hangar can be built at the museum.

B次元官网网址淭his is a perfect start and weB次元官网网址檙e able to kick-start preparations so that we can get the aircraft ready for the big blockbuster arrival weekend in the fall.B次元官网网址�

Mosdell said the museum was in talks to have both the Hawaii and Philippine Mars at the museum, but ultimately decided on one aircraft. No plans for the Philippine Mars were discussed.

Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne and Penny Cote, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District director for Sproat Lake, both said the announcement is bittersweet. B次元官网网址淲e have so much pride here in the Alberni Valley that we have a global leader in aerial firefighting,B次元官网网址� Osborne said. B次元官网网址� I know itB次元官网网址檚 going to be a bittersweet day when we see her take off from Sproat Lake for the last time.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淧eople have grown up with this plane here,B次元官网网址� Cote said. B次元官网网址淢y son did, with it taxiing by our house on the lake and yeah, the romance is there,B次元官网网址� she added.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 going down the road and itB次元官网网址檚 going to have proper maintenance, and itB次元官网网址檚 really great to see that thereB次元官网网址檚 going to be a firefighting exhibit where itB次元官网网址檚 going to be the main feature.B次元官网网址�

Killin and Mosdell both said the Hawaii Mars will fly sometime in the fall of 2024 and will head down the east coast of Vancouver Island enroute to Victoria. B次元官网网址淚 plan on showcasing the airplane to the Island on the trip down,B次元官网网址� Killin said.