Warbird Information Exchange

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Mars+ ... story.html

Mars bombers hired by U.S.

Port Alberni-based planes to battle California wildfires this summer

By Sandra McCulloch, Times ColonistApril 2, 2009

One of two Martin Mars waterbombers based in Port Alberni has been hired to battle California wildfires this summer and fall, the U.S. Forest Service is expected to announce today.

The Hawaii Mars waterbomber, long a fixture on Vancouver Island, has made it to "the Superbowl of firefighting," said owner Wayne Coulson earlier this week.

The contract calls for the aircraft to be based at Lake Elsinore June 15 to Nov. 15 and includes an option for renewal in 2010. A spokesman for the fire service wasn't available for comment on the contract award yesterday.

The U.S. gig means the former war-time troop carrier won't be available to fight fires in B.C., where it's mainly been used in special circumstances mainly on the south coast.

It is not instrumental to the province's overall preparedness, said a forest ministry spokeswoman.

The Hawaii Mars got the attention last summer of President George W. Bush and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who circled overhead in a helicopter while it was working at Lake Shasta.

The aircraft will likely be given the star treatment and a higher profile this year when it works fires in the Los Angeles area.

The massive flying boat with its 61-metre wingspan dips down to lakes and scoops water at a tonne a second. Last spring, U.S. authorities came to Port Alberni to watch the water bomber being tested on various aspects of its performance. They were impressed, Coulson said.

Through the summer, Californians watched 567,000 hectares of the state burn in one of their worst fire seasons. Costs topped $1 billion US. The Martin Mars was on short-term contracts in Lake Shasta and then farther south around Lake Elsinore.

If all goes well in California this year, the Philippine Mars might be returned to service and sent to fight wildfires in Australia, said Coulson, whose company, Coulson Group, owns both aircraft.

It's hoped the Martin Mars will help save California homes and structures. Last year, more than 2,300 homes and buildings in the state were destroyed by fire, despite the efforts of helicopters dropping buckets of fire retardant.

The Martin Mars now has the go-ahead to drop fire retardant on homes as it has done on woodland, covering a 1.4-hectare swath encompassing four or five homes.

It's the only fixed-wing aircraft in the world with that capability, said Coulson, who noted U.S. Fire Service officials were impressed with the waterbomber's performance at Lake Shasta last season -- particularly its ability to drop 416,000 litres of retardant in seven hours.

"It was a low-cost tool that was highly effective. That drove discussions into the fall, through winter and until now when we signed off on the contract."

The contract was a direct award, meaning there was no competitor.

High-tech adaptations include replacing the bird dog, or lead aircraft, from a Cessna fixed-wing aircraft to a Sikorsky S76-B, similar to the Helijet. The chopper has infrared cameras on board and images are sent to fire bosses on the ground.

The images will help authorities predict the growth rate of fires and plan attacks, said Coulson.

"[The Americans] have been looking for aircraft that can change the game, and that means knock the fire out. The Martin Mars is one of very few assets they can call up and change the game."

Well, let's see...........2 quarts = a bushell and 63,000" in a mile....... What the heck is a hectare

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

I'd say that's terrific news. If I remember correctly, the Mars sat at Shasta waiting for permission to help with the fires in LA, but was not given approval to do so. This is a great step forward for fire fighting in California.

There was an interesting little note about sending one down to Australia too. Wow.... I remember it was a joke/rumour a while back.

As a side note, I've always wondered why the Mars, or heck... even Trackers or C-3's, or DC-6's couldn't be used down there with some success.

Then again a British Columbia fire is a very different animal than a Victoria State fire.

Thanks for posting Dave!

Cheers,

David

Poor Jack.

1 Hectare = 2.5 acres

Thus the Mars can cover about 3.5 acres per drop when covering houses with retardant.

Simple! It's 10 ares...............

Great news. I just have to get down to Elsinore and see it.

John

Following up on this:

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Port+ ... story.html

Port Alberni water bomber, and tourist draw, will fly south to fight fires

One Martin Mars flies south for fire season, one remains at Sproat Lake

The mayor of Port Alberni says he's not concerned the town will lose out by having one of the area's big tourist draws leave for southern California to fight forest fires.

The Hawaii Mars, a Martin Mars water bomber, will fly south from June 15 to Nov. 15 to work for the U.S. Forest Service, owner Wayne Coulson announced this week.

That leaves the Philippine Mars at the Sproat Lake base for summer tourists to visit.

Mayor Ken McRae is jubilant at Coulson's success in negotiating the California contract.

"It's fantastic," said McRae, calling Coulson "one of our biggest employers. The amount he brings in to this community is out of this world."

Coulson Group, headquartered in Port Alberni, has 375 employees working in forest products, lumber manufacturing and aviation.

The forest service contract means the Hawaii Mars is returning to the region where it began service in 1944 as a troop carrier for the U.S. Navy.

The Americans are hoping the Hawaii Mars will help them get the upper hand on forest fires that have ravaged the state in recent years.

"It's going to give us a whole new unique capability because it's such a unique aircraft," said Dennis Hulbert, the forest service's regional aviation officer for the Pacific southwest region.

Where U.S. air tankers traditionally lay retardant in the paths of wildfires, the Martin Mars will be an initial attack tool, dropping 27,000 litres of water and fire-retardant gel at a time directly on the fires, Hulbert said.

"The Martin Mars we'll use directly at the fire because it has the capability to deliver so much product," Hulbert said, calling it "a unique [tool] that we're kind of excited about trying."

The cost of hiring the Martin Mars is comparable to what the service pays for U.S. air tankers, he said, adding there's only so much an air tanker can do in a firestorm.

"If the winds are blowing 80 miles per hour and the fire's jumping an eight-lane freeway, I don't care how many air tankers you've got, it's not going to work."

The Martin Mars will be dispatched to fires near built-up areas to protect homes and other structures. The aircraft is certified to drop a fire-retardant gel directly on homes, covering more area faster than helicopters do now.

California wildfires last year cost more than $1 billion to fight and pose a serious threat to homes and lives.

"Every year we keep thinking it's not going to get any worse and every year in California we continue to get these huge mega-fires that burn all summer," said Hulbert.

The Martin Mars and the Sikorsky helicopter that acts as a lead will give authorities a view of the fires they haven't had before. Infrared cameras will help guide the water bomber to the most effective drop zone, maximizing its effectiveness.

"Before we couldn't see through the smoke and we were guessing where the fire [was]," Hulbert said. "We don't want to subjectively say it. We want to scientifically say whether it's effective or not and that's our intent."