Tens of thousands of people on Vancouver Island watched the final flight of the Hawaiian water bomber Martin Mars – long a symbol of firefighting in BC
The Hawaiian water bomber “Martin Mars” has arrived in Patricia Bay, crossing communities on Vancouver Island on its flight path from Sproat Lake on Sunday.
The final flight of the Hawaii Martin Mars ended without incident in Patricia Bay on Sunday evening. Tens of thousands of people lined the shore and Patricia Bay Park to watch the firefighting plane land. People stood on cars and trucks to get a better view.
Traffic came to a standstill as the Martin Mars made its first flyover of the Saanich Peninsula at 6:15 p.m. on its way to downtown Victoria accompanied by the Snowbirds.
The cheers that accompanied the bomber on its return about 25 minutes later were only just drowned out by the thunderous roar of the planes.
A final cheer rang out from the shore when the propellers of the giant water bomber were turned off for the last time at 6:50 p.m.
The final flight was piloted by Peter Killian, who had flown the aircraft for more than 17 years.
“It was a good flight. It was like the plane was ready to go to work,” Killian said. “It’s over. This is the end of the trip. I’ll never fly on this Mars again, but it’s nice to be part of the last crew.”
The 120-foot aircraft, whose last fire season was in 2015, was donated by Coulson Aviation to the BC Aviation Museum in North Saanich, where it will be on display.
Did you take a photo of the Hawaii Martin Mars on its last flight? You can email it to the Times Colonist at (email protected). Please include your name, the location where you took the photo, and any Hawaii Martin Mars memories you would like to share. Don’t forget to put the words “Martin Mars” in the subject line. We’ll feature some of our favorites in the newspaper and online.
Everything you need to know about the last Mars flight to Hawaii
When will Hawaii Mars lift off from Sproat Lake?
The firefighting aircraft is scheduled to take off from its home base at Sproat Lake at approximately 3:20 p.m.
When will Hawaii Mars arrive in Patricia Bay?
The firefighting aircraft carrier is expected to arrive in Patricia Bay in North Saanich today between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (weather permitting).
The flight route passes through several cities
The final flight plan calls for overflights over several island cities, likely Port Alberni, Campbell River, Courtenay, Nanaimo, Duncan, Ladysmith and Crofton.
These are the approximate flyover times for communities along the route, however the BC Aviation Museum states they may vary by 30 minutes in either direction.
3:20 p.m. – Port Alberni
3:40 p.m. – Comox
4pm – Campbell River
16:10 – Cape Mudge
4:30 p.m. – Powell River
4:50 p.m. – Comox
5:40 p.m. – Nanaimo
5:50 p.m. – Gulf Islands
18:10 – Crofton, where the Canadian Forces will begin their escort
18:15 – First flyover over Pat Bay and Victoria Airport
6:30pm – Downtown Victoria and then back along the east coast to Victoria Airport
18:50 – Low level flight over runway 32 from Victoria at the BC Aviation Museum, right turn over satellite channel, landing off runway 27
7:00 p.m. – Landing in Patricia Bay on Saanich Inlet
Live flight details will be provided prior to arrival on the museum’s Facebook page (facebook.com/BCAviationMuseum) and the website (bcam.net) will have a map showing the best vantage points from the water from which the public can view the final landing, as well as showing the restricted areas.
How can I follow the Hawaii Mars flight?
The roar of the plane’s massive 10,000 horsepower engines will be hard to miss. The Martin Mars can also be tracked on Flightradar24.com using the aircraft registration code CFLYL. At least some users were unable to see it on Sunday.
There will not be a drop of water
The museum announces that there will be no water drop: “As much as everyone would like it, no water drop is possible for this special final flight.”
But there will be snowbirds!
In Crofton, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds – returning from the Abbotsford Air Show – will join the Martin Mars and escort her in style to her final landing in Patricia Bay.
All nine Snowbird aircraft will participate and perform a flyby over Greater Victoria.
Moving the aircraft is a huge undertaking
The plane is big – really big. It’s 120 feet long, has a 200-foot wingspan, and can drop 6,000 gallons of water at once. Transporting it from the water to the museum will take several days.
First, the beach landing gear (wheels) are attached to the aircraft, it is “drained” and lifted over a ramp onto a concrete apron using a winch.
Between August 19 and 23, Nickel Brothers Moving will lift the Hawaii Mars onto a heavy-duty trailer and move the aircraft through the airport grounds after airport operations close for the night.
To do this, fences, light poles and power pylons along the route must be cleared out of the way.
Why is the aircraft being relocated at all?
The Hawaii Mars’ last fire season in BC was in 2015 and it will now be moved to the BC Aviation Museum in North Saanich where it will go on display. The exhibit’s grand opening is scheduled for September 28.
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