Martin Mars have been sold

[warbirdcrew]

Hey all,

Don't know how credible the information is on this, the link says the news is from someone "inside the company", but according to this forum, the Coulson Group of Port Alberni has purchased the Mars bombers, and has yet decided what to do with them.

http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/3358456/

-WC

[mustangdriver]

Would be nice to see one of them go to Baltimore.

I guess we will wait to see if this is a credible report, and if so hopefully get more details.

Ultimately whether right away or later, I truly hope that one of the Martin Mars aircraft is flown back east to end up at the Martin Museum in Baltimore, MD.

[Stratofreighter]

Found at http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... c23cc9ea02 :

"Mars water bombers to stay at Port Alberni

Sandra McCulloch
CanWest News Service

Saturday, April 14, 2007

The Martin Mars water bombers are staying in Port Alberni, thanks to a
decision by TimberWest to accept a bid by the Coulson Group of
Companies, a major heli-logging firm.

"It's good news, really good news for Port Alberni," said Port Alberni
mayor Ken McRae on Friday.

"[CEO Wayne Coulson] is a local person, born in the community, and
employs 400 to 500 workers in our area already, a good corporate
citizen. They couldn't have gone to a better organization."

The terms of the deal are confidential, said TimberWest spokesman Steve
Lorimer, but added that the aircraft will continue to be based at Sproat
Lake near Port Alberni.

That's great news for the 22 mechanics and engineers who maintain the
aircraft through Flying Tankers. Manager Terry Dixon said Friday the
workers are relieved. "The main thing is the planes will stay for awhile
and Coulson intends to operate them. [The planes] are too young for
museums."

TimberWest announced in November 2006 that the two huge water bombers were for sale. The news saddened many on Vancouver Island. The amphibious [sic] aircraft won admirers over 46 years fighting forest
fires in the area.

The bombers were originally operated by a consortium of five forest
companies, but all dropped out except TimberWest. Reasons for the sale
were economic. It costs TimberWest $1 million a year to maintain the
aircraft and a lack of forest fires in recent years kept them mainly
idle."

[daveymac82c]

That's good to hear! I'm glad that I'll feel secure seeing those red and white monsters flying around BC for a few years more.

Those planes are quite important to British Columbia and nothing can replace their firebombing capabilities.

Obviously they are going to be retired someday, but luckily not yet. This'll give more time for museums and other "groups" to organize better acquisition plans.

Cheers,

David

[CAPFlyer]

Manager Terry Dixon said Friday the
workers are relieved. "The main thing is the planes will stay for awhile
and Coulson intends to operate them. [The planes] are too young for
museums."

I love this quote. Most people don't realize that these aircraft are extremely low time aircraft, despite their "age" and have a lot of life left in them. When they were converted into fire bombers, they were practically zero timed in part due to the modifications to re-engine the aircraft and due to the way the modification was done, so the aircraft had a long lifetime available and plenty of spares since they got all of the spares the Navy had on hand for the aircraft, something you rarely see happen.

Also, it's interesting how they talk about a lack of forest fires. If you watch the media, you'd think they've been having record fire seasons recently. I wonder if the new owners will consider sending the bombers south if it's a "light" season this year now that H&P is gone and there's a large gap in large tanker availability?

[RareBear]

I don't think it's a matter of the new owners "considering" sending them south. It's more a matter of if the USFS will allow them to come. They definitely could be used to fight fires in the US, but the Forestry Service has put the kabosh on most firebombers derived from aircraft of that vintage.

Walt

[CAPFlyer]

That is true Walt. Oddly enough though, the PBY's were exempted from that ruling.

[Canso42]

CAPflyer,
Actually there is only ONE PBY left in the US fighting fires. N85U "Tanker 85" soldiers on with Flying Fireman in Spanaway, Wa. It was grandfathered through the Federal cracks because of who it's leased to.
It's a Cyclone-powered Super Cat PBY-6A, ex C-GFFH, ex N6453C. BuNo 64041.
This Cat is all over silver with yellow-orange undersides and a big orange 85 on the tail.

Doug Ratchford 'Canso42'
member PBY@yahoo

[CAPFlyer]

I'm well acquainted with Tanker 85. I used to work for Bud (see my avatar).

Wasn't aware that it was the only one left though. I thought there were still a few operating out of Oregon.

[Eric Friedebach]

From AvWeb email 4-16-07:

Mars To Keep Toiling In Canada



An international bid to preserve the last two remaining Martin Mars flying boats in museums in British Columbia and Maryland has failed. Instead, the massive aircraft will continue to be used as heavy-lift firefighting aircraft throughout western North America by Coulson Aircrane, which bought the aircraft from forest company TimberWest in a deal finalized Friday. Coulson is a helicopter logging and firefighting company based in the Mars’ current hometown of Port Alberni on Vancouver Island.

"This is a positive outcome as the water bombers will be operated by a local company that is experienced and focused on aviation firefighting," said TimberWest CEO Paul McElligott. "TimberWest takes great pride in having operated the Martin Mars over the last several years and we know that Coulson will continue that tradition." When TimberWest put the aircraft up for sale late last year, there were controversies on several fronts.

British Columbia cities and towns that have watched the 64-year-old aircraft at work on wildfires near, sometimes in, their communities passed resolutions aimed at keeping the Mars in the air. Others wanted the Mars replaced with more modern aircraft. An aviation museum in Maryland, where the aircraft were built, and a group of British Columbia aviation enthusiasts were promoting a joint bid for the aircraft that would have seen one housed in the Maryland museum and another in a museum built on the site of their current home base on Sproat Lake. The deal with Coulson included the Sproat Lake base, facilities, spares and infrastructure, and the aircraft will likely stay where they are.

LINK

[RMAllnutt]

Although I would have been very happy to have seen one of the Mars come to Baltimore, near where I live, it is great news that the aircraft will continue to fly. I have always harbored a desire to see them in action too, so maybe now we all have a second chance to do so!

Cheers,
Richard

[Django]

Flying is better than sitting in a museum anyway.

Although I would have been very happy to have seen one of the Mars come to Baltimore, near where I live, it is great news that the aircraft will continue to fly. I have always harbored a desire to see them in action too, so maybe now we all have a second chance to do so!

Cheers,
Richard

I admit that my motivation for having one of the Mars aircraft come to Baltimore was selfishly wanting to see this behemoth in the air as it came in on its final flight. The odds on most of us in the U.S. getting to see the Mars in the air at Sproat Lake in British Columbia are very small. Even if one can plan a trip out there to see it, the odds of being there went it takes flight are low.

I wish the new operators well in the continued successful use of the Mars as a firebomber, but barring the highly unlikely event that a round trip flight east could be managed while still operational, I hope that the continued operational period is not too long, so that the return to the U.S. and it's birthplace can happen in a reasonable amount of time.

[mustangdriver]

Tell that to Keebird. I for one was in favor of seeing them retired. They are the only two left, and fire bombing is pretty tough work.