A legendary firefighting aircraft is about to make its final journey.
The Hawaii Martin Mars water bomber’s final flight is slated for Sunday. It will depart Sprout Lake near Port Alberni and link up with the Snowbirds for a flight over the Island down to Victoria, eventually landing in Pat Bay between 6 and 6:30pm.
The aircraft is to become the crown jewel in the BC Aviation Museum's growing BC Wildfire Aviation exhibit near Victoria airport.
Steve Nichol, the President of the BC Aviation Museum, says the Hawaii Martin Mars and the other planes of its type have a deep history on the Island. "These used to be post-World War Two transport aircraft, used for about 10-years by the American Navy. When they were going to dispose of them a consortium up here in Canada said 'we can use these as water bombers if we convert them.' And they were converted right here on Victoria Airport grounds back in 1960."
They went on to fly for 55-years fighting fires in British Columbia and beyond. The Hawaii Martin Mars last flew in 2016.