An important piece of B.C. history will be flying south this autumn when the Philippine Mars water bomber, now retired from fighting forest fires, makes its final flight - to a Florida aviation museum.
It's Florida's gain and Vancouver Island's loss.
The aircraft is one of only seven of its type - and one of the two still in existence - built by the Glenn L. Martin Company for the U.S. Navy, which wanted the planes to transport troops and supplies across the Pacific during and immediately after the Second World War. With a wingspan of more than 60 metres, it is the largest operational flying boat ever built, according to Dirk Septer, writing in a Forest History Association of B.C. newsletter.
The prototype of the Martin Mars series, known as The Old Lady, first flew in 1942 and was used for crew training in Maryland until being scrapped in 1945. The Hawaii Mars I sank in 1945, weeks after being delivered to the U.S. Navy, and was scrapped. The Marshall Mars, which began flying in 1946, was destroyed by an engine fire and sank off Diamond Head in Hawaii in 1950.
The four remaining planes - the Philippine Mars, the Hawaii Mars II, the Marianas Mars and the Caroline Mars - carried more than a quarter of a million passengers and thousands of tonnes of freight across the Pacific for the U.S. Navy until they were retired in 1956. They were destined for the scrap yard, but in 1959 were bought for $100,000 by Forest Industries Flying Tankers, which had been formed by B.C. Forest Products, MacMillan Bloedel, Pacific Logging, Tahsis Company and Western Forest Industries to combat fires on the member companies' forest properties.
The planes were ferried to Patricia Bay near Victoria's airport, where Fairey Aviation began the process of converting the military aircraft into peacetime water bombers. The Marianas Mars performed well on two fires in 1961, but on its third fire, crashed into the timber, killing all four crew members. The plane had apparently failed to drop its load and could not gain altitude fast enough to clear the mountain.
The Caroline Mars never saw waterbombing service - it was destroyed by the tail end of typhoon Freda, which struck the Victoria airport in October of 1962.
The remaining two aircraft were put to the test in the severe fire season of 1963. Each plane carried more than 27,000 litres of water, which could be scooped up in 30 seconds while the plane taxied across the water. The planes dumped nearly two million litres of water on nine fires that season, and continued to prove their worth in subsequent years throughout B.C., and occasionally elsewhere.
They became iconic. When the thunder of the fourengined aircraft was heard over a fire scene, you knew the cavalry had arrived. Different types of aircraft now supply aerial support for firefighting efforts in B.C., but the Martin Mars flying boats will likely be the most remembered.
The planes, based at Sproat Lake near Port Alberni, have been owned by the Coulson Group since 2006. The Philippine Mars is getting a new coat of paint in preparation for its flight to its new home with the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. Wayne Coulson is hoping to get a C-130 aircraft - or parts from a C-130 - in exchange. He already owns one of the massive planes, which is based in Sacramento, California.
The Philippine Mars will be an important addition to the Florida collection, as it's the only Second World War aircraft the museum doesn't have.
Still, it's sad to see it go. The 66-year-old plane will be recognized in the museum for its association with U.S. military, but it served more than four times as long in its civilian role fighting forest fires.
The remaining aircraft, the Hawaii Mars II, will remain on contract with the B.C. government as a water bomber. We hope that when the time comes for its retirement, arrangements can be made to keep it on Vancouver Island in a place of honour suited to its role in B.C. history.
