Our Canadair Water Bombers are also renowned world-wide for capability and durability... but what a beautiful beast this Martin is !

Port Alberni BC is the closest city and Sproat Lake (not Sprout Lake as many wrongly think) is where they were based for their entire working life as the world's largest air tanker - in both size of the aircraft and volume of drop. The Hawaii Mars and the sister Philippine Mars saved countless areas in both BC and the USA and Mexico during times of need battling forest fires. Originally flown was a Grumman Goose as the bird dog (or spotter aircraft) together with the Mars in the earlier days. After Coulson Aviation took over (basically rescued the Mars) it decided to do a much needed upgrade to some of the systems like a modern glass dash (instrument panel) like you would find in any modern aircraft as well as some of the other mechanical systems that are involved in the water drop. As well they installed telemetry (think Indy car or NASCAR) that would let the fire boss on the ground see exactly what the Mars was seeing in real time. At this point they also switched out the Goose for a Sikorsky S76 to act as the bird dog. There was a Boeing 747 converted into a air tanker by Evergreen Aviation but it was done 3 or 4 decades after the Mars. Unfortunately it too was retired just when it was needed most. 😢 Coulson Aviation is the world's largest air tanker business doing business all over the world. Their latest projects include both fixed wing Boeing 737 - 400 (?) and Rotary Boeing Chinook helicopters with night vision that can work through the darkness to fight fires. Wayne Coulsons father started out in the logging industry in the early 60's and became a well respected person for the way he treated his employees and his work ethic. Fast forward to the 90's and helicopter logging became a thing as the easy wood was long gone. Along the way the consortium that owned the Martin Mars was going to shut the door. Wayne stepped up to the plate and has never looked back, often times leading the industry with innovative ideas and 1st class results in the air. Kudos to the Coulson family for all they have done and do.

Hey Dara, nice to hear from you! Karoline says hello back to you too. Hope to see you again one of these days!

the southern resident pods, J,K, and L, occasionally get together to form a "superpod", they were all together shortly before I shot this when L pod split off and went another direction. They are quite social animals and will interbreed with the other pods.