1 day ago · With a mighty four-engine roar, the Philippine Mars flew low over the bomber base at Sproat Lake, turned right toward the Alberni Inlet and never looked back. After two false starts in December 2024, the final Martin Mars waterbomber successfully flew to San Francisco on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025 on its way to its final home at the Pima Air and ...

Bell 206B, C-GKMO, was acquired by Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT) based at Sproat Lake in Port Alberni, BC for aerial firefighting in June 1978. FIFT was owned by six of the largest timber companies in BC and operated two Martin JMR 3 Mars flying boats, CF-LYL (pictured) and CF-LYK, to protect valuable timber leases on the BC coast.

The Philippine Mars and the Hawaii Mars have used Sproat Lake as a resting site for almost 75 years. A unique trait of these bombers is the gel injection system on board; referred to as 1.5% Thermo-Gel, it works alongside water to help extinguish fires.

Jan 9, 2025 · The Philippine Mars left Sproat Lake on Dec. 15 en route to its final resting place, the Pima Air and Space Museum. However, a problem with the No. 4 engine caused pilots Capt. Pete Killin and Capt. Todd Davis to turn around near Friday Harbour and conduct a precautionary landing in Pat Bay.

Sproat Lake is a lake on central Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.It was known as Kleecoot, meaning "wide open" by local indigenous people. Roughly cross-shaped with four arms, it is over 25 kilometres in length, and has 90.8 kilometres of shoreline. [1] Home of the last Martin Mars type waterbombers, and near Port Alberni, Sproat …

Jul 6, 2015 · One of Coulson’s S-61 helicopters working the fire on Sproat Lake in British Columbia. Photo by Britt Coulson. Britt Coulson of The Coulson Group sent us these photos of the wildfire burning along the lake near the company’s Martin Mars base in British Columbia.

Dec 6, 2024 · Photographers and aviation enthusiasts at Sproat Lake were surprised the aircraft took flight, as the weather was still socked in with low clouds. The flight lasted long enough for the aircrews to gain a bit of altitude before they put the Philippine Mars back on the water and taxied back to the buoy.

Aug 5, 2024 · Coulson Aviation confirmed the Hawaii Mars will fly out of Sproat Lake on its final mission next Sunday, Aug. 11. both time and flight path are still to be determined. "We're super thrilled with how this is all coming together," Mosdell said.

Jan 9, 2025 · The Philippine Mars left Sproat Lake on Dec. 15 enroute to its final resting place, the Pima Air and Space Museum. However, a problem with the No. 4 engine caused pilots Capt. Pete Killin and Capt. Todd Davis to turn around near Friday Harbour and conduct a precautionary landing in Pat Bay.

2 days ago · The Philippine Mars will leave Sproat Lake on its final departure south on Sunday, Feb 9, 2025. Coulson Aviation made the announcement on its social media Saturday evening. "Tomorrow morning, the Philippine Mars will take to the skies one last time, aiming to depart from the buoy in Sproat Lake around 9 a.m. heading to San Francisco," the post ...