The Hawaii Mars will make its final trip down Vancouver Island on Sunday, on its way to a new home near Saanich where it'll be on display at the B.C. Aviation Museum. (Coulson Aviation)

By Alex Rawnsley

final flight

‘It’s just been such an honour:’ Hawaii Mars revving engines over mid-Island for final time

Aug 11, 2024 | 10:40 AM

NANAIMO — It’s the final opportunity to see one of B.C.’s most iconic planes fly in the sky.

The legendary Hawaii Mars water bomber will make its final flight from Port Alberni to Patricia Bay in North Saanich on Sunday, Aug. 11.

Wayne Coulson, owner of the aircraft, said they plan to leave Port Alberni’s Sproat Lake just after lunch, then fly past Campbell River, Powell River, the Comox Valley and down the east coast of Vancouver Island.

“It’s just been such an honour to own that airplane. It’s brought so much good not only to the community but certainly to our company as we look at transitioning away from that particular airplane. It’s served us well.”

Canadian Forces Snowbirds are expected to join the flight at some point.

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The squadron will be fresh off air show performances in Abbotsford through the weekend.

“Our guys are so excited to be part of that,” Coulson added. “We’ve just had so much good support from the Province, Transport Canada that’s made this really special. We’ve got the Snowbirds joining us in Lantzville, they’re going to take a lap around the Parliament buildings I understand and then into Pat Bay.”

The Hawaii Mars will then take up residency at the B.C. Aviation Museum and become a fully open and explorable exhibit this fall.

Coulson said once this move is complete, attention will turn to the Philippine Mars and its pending relocation to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

A similar process of getting the aircraft ready and a final flight down the Island will take place in September.

“It’ll be her turn, she’ll be up there and we’ll be getting it ready. It’s certainly got a much longer journey down the west coast into California, then probably fly her inland to Arizona from there.”

The Mars fleet of aircraft were originally built for the Second World War in the 1940s as ocean patrol boats, but were then converted for firefighting applications after being retired from service in the 1950s.

With a 200-foot wingspan and a capacity of 27,000 litres of water at a time, the planes can reach a maximum speed of 356 kilometres per hour, but typically cruise at around 310 kilometres per hour with a range of upwards of 8,000 kilometres.

The Hawaii and Philippine Mars are the last two surviving planes of their kind after the Marianas Mars crashed near Parksville in 1961, and the Caroline Mars was damaged beyond repair by a typhoon a year later.

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