The Hawaii, has left her home on Vancouver Island for the final time.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hawaii-martin-mars-last-flight-1.7291472
I had the pleasure of visiting the second to last unit, and parts of others, (the only flying one was anchored off shore), on a trip to Vancouver Island about a dozen years ago with then still somewhat spry Father. He left in 2015 but having him there, that day, that time, is something I am so glad we did. We had a couple of extra hours before the ferry took us back to the mainland, so what better way to spend time with your aging Dad, than doing things that had a big interest for him.
I did not want to be the 'Cat's in the Cradle' son.
Sorry for the picture quality. Maybe, it's just me, getting a little blurry eyed. 😉
She really was the queen of her skies.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hawaii-martin-mars-last-flight-1.7291472
I had the pleasure of visiting the second to last unit, and parts of others, (the only flying one was anchored off shore), on a trip to Vancouver Island about a dozen years ago with then still somewhat spry Father. He left in 2015 but having him there, that day, that time, is something I am so glad we did. We had a couple of extra hours before the ferry took us back to the mainland, so what better way to spend time with your aging Dad, than doing things that had a big interest for him.
I did not want to be the 'Cat's in the Cradle' son.
Sorry for the picture quality. Maybe, it's just me, getting a little blurry eyed. 😉
She really was the queen of her skies.
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The only time I got up close was a long time ago when she was still in working condition, floating in Sproat Lake.
My long departed neighbor was a WW2 pilot, and said he flew the Mars on more than one occasion, but I don't remember the details.
jeff
My long departed neighbor was a WW2 pilot, and said he flew the Mars on more than one occasion, but I don't remember the details.
jeff
Hello Cal and Jeff:
My lovely wife and I spent an hour at Oyster Bay watching the Mars Hawaii do it's final tour of the coast. It was a great thing to see. We were on the end of the breakwater and it flew right over head. Louder than thunder and bigger than you could imagine and very low and slow. The stats say 120ft long, 200ft wing span and 10000hp. Quite a monster.
Here is my firefighting experience story about the Mars:
I was on a forest fire in the 1980's when it was called to do a water drop. An other worldly experience. We were called back from the fire edge to safety. The Bird dog plane flew over at low height with a siren blaring showing the Mars the dropping route and setting up the drop. Then right behind the bird dog the Mars comes in low and slow, like just above the tops of the trees, to make the drop. Well you do not hear it at first, you feel it coming, the low frequency thunder starts in your gut and gets more and more intense. Then the shadow from the wings darkens the sky and it is gone. Wow, what a strange feeling.
The all clear sounds and we get back to the fire line, slip sliding all the way on the mixture of seawater and fire retardant. The fire was not totally out but it was sure knocked back. As we are walking back one of the guys notices a distinct sparkling in the canopy of the trees. Strange, what is that he says. The crew boss smiles and says the bomber must have picked up a school of herring when it loaded in the ocean. That sparkle is fish scales!
A memorable experience, There you go, that's my Martin Mars fire fighting story.
We should be able to see it up close some time near the end of September at the BC Aviation Museum
Take care
My lovely wife and I spent an hour at Oyster Bay watching the Mars Hawaii do it's final tour of the coast. It was a great thing to see. We were on the end of the breakwater and it flew right over head. Louder than thunder and bigger than you could imagine and very low and slow. The stats say 120ft long, 200ft wing span and 10000hp. Quite a monster.
Here is my firefighting experience story about the Mars:
I was on a forest fire in the 1980's when it was called to do a water drop. An other worldly experience. We were called back from the fire edge to safety. The Bird dog plane flew over at low height with a siren blaring showing the Mars the dropping route and setting up the drop. Then right behind the bird dog the Mars comes in low and slow, like just above the tops of the trees, to make the drop. Well you do not hear it at first, you feel it coming, the low frequency thunder starts in your gut and gets more and more intense. Then the shadow from the wings darkens the sky and it is gone. Wow, what a strange feeling.
The all clear sounds and we get back to the fire line, slip sliding all the way on the mixture of seawater and fire retardant. The fire was not totally out but it was sure knocked back. As we are walking back one of the guys notices a distinct sparkling in the canopy of the trees. Strange, what is that he says. The crew boss smiles and says the bomber must have picked up a school of herring when it loaded in the ocean. That sparkle is fish scales!
A memorable experience, There you go, that's my Martin Mars fire fighting story.
We should be able to see it up close some time near the end of September at the BC Aviation Museum
Take care
We got buzzed one morning (6am) at the Sproat Lake provincial campsite by the Mars. That woke everyone up. 😉
jeff
jeff
I grew up on Vancouver Island and remember seeing the Mars water bombers flying around and dumping water. That last time I saw one of the Mars on active duty was in the Okanagan. I think it was during the Okanagan Mountain fire in and around Kelowna in 2003.
Back some time in the late 1970s, I was fishing one evening on a river feeding into Sproat Lake when I took this picture of one of the Mars bombers on its landing approach.
Back some time in the late 1970s, I was fishing one evening on a river feeding into Sproat Lake when I took this picture of one of the Mars bombers on its landing approach.
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It was a long time ago, so my memory of the exact location is not great. It's possible that I was on the Stamp River which flows out of Great Central Lake (which is just a few km from Sproat Lake).
My only live encounter with the big bird was on my way to Tofino driving along the north side of the lake, a ways up the hill. I said to my girlfriend of the time, hey that thing's gonna hit the trees on this side of the lake.
Not realizing how big it was, I thought it was a lot closer. When it landed perfectly in the lake, my jaw dropped.
That's the day I fell in love with the Martin Mars water bomber. Circa 1984.
Not realizing how big it was, I thought it was a lot closer. When it landed perfectly in the lake, my jaw dropped.
That's the day I fell in love with the Martin Mars water bomber. Circa 1984.
I remember the old days in Port Alberni when I was young, back in the 60's and 70's. The Martin Mars would skim the Port Alberni harbour to load water to fight local forest fires.
Thanks Cal. Although interesting I found that the CNC link was great entertainment! 🙂
[For some reason I always thought that you lived on the East Coast]
[For some reason I always thought that you lived on the East Coast]
Another time that I saw the Mars bomber in action was filling up water on Cameron Lake, next to Highway 4 between Port Alberni and Parksville, and then dumping the water on a fire on the mountain slope on the north side of the lake. This was all visible from the highway on the southern shores of the lake, so lots of cars parked and taking in the show.
Nickel Brothers getting ready to move this beast across the road to new home either tonight or tomorrow.
Harbour Air’s Rick Matthews and alumni pilot Peter Killin started together at Harbour Air in 1984, and have been piloting aircraft on the west coast for 50+ years. Both will be flying the Hawaii Martin Mars to its final destination alongside two other pilots, with Peter Killin having logged more than 1,000 hours of flying time with the water bomber.
Harbour Air’s Rick Matthews and alumni pilot Peter Killin started together at Harbour Air in 1984, and have been piloting aircraft on the west coast for 50+ years. Both will be flying the Hawaii Martin Mars to its final destination alongside two other pilots, with Peter Killin having logged more than 1,000 hours of flying time with the water bomber.
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They had a bit on CTV Vancouver news on the Nickel Brothers bit.
For those not in the know, Nickel Brothers is well known for moving big-old houses around. They moved the house one of my architect clients lives in now — only a short move, some involve barges and a different island. You would never know it.
dave
For those not in the know, Nickel Brothers is well known for moving big-old houses around. They moved the house one of my architect clients lives in now — only a short move, some involve barges and a different island. You would never know it.
dave
That reads incorrectly. She's still very much on the island just not where she called home for so long.
I first learned about the Mars when I worked at the Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation back around 1980. I was friends with the owner's son Mark and I just kinda fell into it.
I saw pictures and heard many stories but could not get a real grasp of it until seeing it land on Sproat lake.
I saw pictures and heard many stories but could not get a real grasp of it until seeing it land on Sproat lake.