The Hawaii Mars water bomber has been retired, pulled ashore at Sproat Lake where it was based. This is a senior citizen whose service to sa国际传媒 should not be forgotten.
Built in 1946 as a transport plane, the Hawaii Mars is the last of the four Martin Mars planes converted to fight fires in sa国际传媒 beginning in the late 1950s. The Hawaii Mars entered service in 1963, dousing fires not only in this province, but also in California and Mexico.
Without the work of this plane and its companions, the landscape of sa国际传媒 would be quite different. For five decades, it was a familiar and welcome sight to many British Columbians anxiously watching smoke billow from forest fires.
It played a key role in suppressing the Kelowna wildfires of 2003.
The Hawaii Mars has the largest capacity of any water bomber in the world, carrying more than 27,000 litres, and is also the world鈥檚 largest piston-powered aircraft. (There are larger propeller-driven aircraft, but they are powered by turbines.)
Since 2007, the province has hired the services of the plane each fire season through a direct-award contract, but has decided to tender out aerial firefighting services on the grounds that smaller, more modern aircraft will be more versatile.
Perhaps, but the Hawaii Mars will be missed. Its next move will be to either a private owner or a museum, but wherever it goes, its part in sa国际传媒 history should be remembered.
