The historic Philippine Mars waterbomber lifted off Sproat Lake, B.C., on Tuesday in a low-and-slow flight that signaled progress in its planned transition to a museum in Arizona.
“It got airborne today,” said Rob Frolic, an aviation enthusiast and photographer from Port Alberni, B.C., in a social media post.
“Only about 200 feet off the water, but it counts.”
Multiple videos captured the flight, part of a gradual ramp-up to moving the Mars to its final resting place at Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson.
It’s expected the aircraft will eventually fly over the east coast of Vancouver Island, near its sister aircraft the Hawaii Mars, which was retired to the B.C. Aviation Museum in August.
“They can say goodbye,” said Wayne Coulson, CEO of Philippine Mars owner Coulson Aviation, in an interview with CHEK News.
“They’ve been partners there for almost 80 years. And then off we go.”
The Philippine Mars is scheduled to fly south to San Francisco, then to San Diego, where it served as a U.S. Navy transport aircraft before being converted for firefighting in the 1950s.
Both aircraft were a key part of Vancouver Island culture for decades, serving as symbols of safety and hope due to their firefighting abilities.
They were considered the world’s largest waterbombers, carrying 7,200 U.S. gallons per drop.
Coulson Aviation acquired both aircraft in 2007, marking the beginning of the company’s fixed-wing air tanker operations for aerial firefighting.
They are the only two remaining Martin Mars aircraft, produced between 1942 and 1947 and flown as cargo ships in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands during the Second World War.
Martin Mars aircraft then supported the Korean War on medical air transport missions between Hawaii and California, with additional cargo missions before the Navy decommissioned them in 1956.
A consortium of B.C. timber companies bought the four surviving Mars aircraft in 1958 and used them for firefighting.
Workers have been gradually putting the Philippine Mars through its paces over the last few weeks, running high-speed taxi runs on Sproat Lake prior to Tuesday’s flight.
It’s unclear when the Philippine Mars will make its final flight to Tucson. Coulson previously said the transfer would take place sometime this year.
Went up to Sidney to see the Hawaii Mars in November. What a beautiful plane. Sorry she’s never going to fly again. Thank you for saving them.
Errrmmm I don’t recall ANYONE saying it would never fly again. I liken this retirement to a political decapatation. You may recall the Princess Marguerite. Dave Barrett sent that ship to the breakers with one swipe of the pen. Even though keeping her running on that route for certain meant massive tourism benefits for BC. Americans wanted her to stay as well as Canadian tourists but no sir not the NDP. Mars water bombers were an incomparable asset to BC Tourism, Environmental, and Forestry business. At the time Princess Marguerite was axed due to ICBC debt balances. History repeats itself. Mars AirTankers were axed because of ICBC, BC Hydro, Health BC, BC Ferries (to name a few) debt servicing. The problem with Socialism is what to do when you’ve finished spending other people’s money. (Margaret Thatcher deceased UK Prime Minister)
Ridiculous rightwing BS trolling. The Mars outlived their usefulness and the economics of using turbine and jet water bombers cost far less than using a maintenance hungry, spares limited 80 year old aircraft. But you do your Trumpy crap if it makes you feel better.
Worked on these Aircraft while serving in the Navy at NAS North Island, San Diego, CA with VR5. They would pass through here and pickup passengers on their way to Hawaii. This was in 1955 – 1956. Biggest airplane I ever saw and wondered how it ever got in the air.