The Gigantic Martin Mars

It was a sight to behold. The Glenn L. Martin Mars flying boat was not only the largest seaplane ever manufactured by the United States, but it even had a galley, showers, sleeping rooms for a crew of 13, and could carry about 300 passengers.
Though capable of transporting record-breaking loads for long ranges, World War 2 would eventually hinder its production, and only six of them were built. Still, they played a pivotal role during the Korean War as long-range cargo aircraft.
As two of them were lost in the early 50s, the remaining ones, dubbed ‘The Big Four,’ were sold for scrap, but a visionary pioneer anticipated their potential and transformed them into another kind of weapon, one that would now put up a fierce fight against the forces of nature itself...
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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.

[@Verminator4]

There's an undeniable unique coolness to these massive old seaplanes that you don't really get with modern aircraft

[@lifevest1]

Reject modernity, embrace tradition??

[@rob5944]

I think they are quite endearing, and what and incredible story!

[@elanthys]

These old flying-boats come from an age where planes were still organic machines, mixing metal with wood, fabric... and a bit of magic. They got hella character. 💛

[@blazzin42]

I had the.... I guess you could say pleasure? Of seeing 2 of these fight a forest Fire absolutely amazing watching them pick water up off the Okanagan lake!!

[@captainsalty9022]

My first ride in an airplane was on a Mars from Hawaii to California. I was about 4. My father was a Marine Colonel returning to the continental U.S. from a stint at MCAS Kaneohe as co. Hence, he got VIP. treatment. I was invited to the cockpit, put in the left seat and allowed to tug on the control wheel which was immobile due to the auto-pilot system being engaged. The ride out to the aircraft in Hawaii was in a boat. That and the taxi time on the water was my first experience of seasickness. How things have changed!

[@soundknight]

Beautiful memory

[@johncunningham7672]

I flew from Hawaii to alameda when I was 9, I got to do all the things you did on the phillapine mars. I still remember the rocket packs when we took off. My father was a :o)

[@RandomButtonPusher]

My first airplane ride was similar, though I was only about 9 months old -- we were returning from a stint at Midway (where I was born), via some TDY at Honolulu, to San Fran.

[@johnbaran4428]

Wow that must have been so cool

[@lancejohnson1406]

Was your dad James L Neefus? VMF-221 and bagged a patrol bomber with an F2A?

[@davidford694]

My wife and I were returning from a brief holiday at Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. We decided to stop by Sproat Lake for a picnic lunch. The Mars water bombers were practicing across the lake from us, picking up and dropping loads. One of them must have spotted us sitting there, so he flew over and dropped a load of water about 50 yards from where we were sitting. What a sight! Our own private show.

[@pat8988]

That must have been cool to watch! Did you ever think that maybe the pilot DIDN'T see you, and you just missed getting dumped on?

[@davidford694]

@@pat8988 Very deliberate.

[@TheWolfsnack]

Yeah.....I recall two flights over Langford outside Victoria and immediatly put out a large fire at Thetis lake....the sight and sound of that plane flying low over my house was awesome!

[@willykanos1044]

My father flew as Plane Commander on the Mars aircraft out of Alameda. This was in the early to mid fifties. They set several new records. One thing not mentioned here was that a mechanic could walk stooped over inside the wings to check engines. When the Navy decommissioned the Mars it was replaced briefly by the R3Y. In 1957 he was transferred to Japan. I was ten.

[@flexinclouds]

The walking through the wings part is insane lol

[@adamkardas1262]

Oi the other bloke recons your talking shit about the waking in the wings bit

[@joandar1]

@@thumper742 Just a thought, if the plane was below a certain altitude then wings did not need to be pressurized for a person to stay alive! I do not have the plans for this, however some out there may and perhaps do if there was a way to go through the wings. Also remember that it is not mentioned in the original post that the plane was in flight! He was 10 then and may not have recalled all the details of his Fathers Words! I Suspect the wing walking, (inside) may have been a method of checking Engine oil levels as it was parked on Water when not Flying! Hard to use a ladder on water I think. John, Australia.

[@stevecook7551]

@@thumper742 Look up the you tube video that Kermit Weeks did a few years ago , It gives you a good idea where you can get to inside those wings .

[@stevekovacs6250]

Which Mars was your Father on?

[@vansongs]

Seen these lots living all over BC all my life. Fought a few fires along the way myself. On the ground though. Live on Vancouver Island now just south of Port Alberni

[@zooot820]

Great to learn about this aircraft and it’s history in BC. Nice to have my province mentioned in a dark skies video!

[@machtschnell7452]

Nice place. Love Tofino.

[@paulloveless9180]

Super random but are you willing to briefly share any personal Sabe stories?

[@robertpearson8798]

I saw one of these beasts over thirty years ago while driving across Vancouver Island. It was cruising along on Sproat Lake, possibly picking up a load of water.

[@douglawrence4066]

I saw these fight the massive Okanagan Mountain Fire in 2003, along with a stream of Bombardiers…. Truly a spectacle to see in real life. Thanks for this one!

[@sailingmaster]

The old flying boats are some of my favorite aircraft of all. There's just something magic about them.

[@RickandAndreaGetOutside]

Hopefully at least one of the two surviving planes will make it into a US museum someday.

[@nickg77]

Imagine retro fitting this plane and living in it and traveling the world in it :)

[@andymouse]

Wow ! yeah.

[@BrittMac422]

Jimmy Buffet outfitted one of the Grumman seaplanes as a flying RV. I wish I had that kind of money.

[@jimwjohnq.public]

That would cost some big $$$.

[@FlexibleToast]

@@BrittMac422 there was also a family that retrofitted some PBY Catalinas they planned on chartering. Their story took a crazy turn when they got abducted in the middle east. Definitely worth looking up and reading about.

[@davem5333]

@@BrittMac422 But for some reason it is grounded. Supposedly permanently. Structural issues? It is a Grumman Albatross.

[@rolandcanacolo6870]

I was a flight engineer 2001 we were grounded or I should say floating on water during 9-11 this was a pretty cool job being able to walk 400 feet on a wing inspection then go to the tail was another 200 feet you have to remember every where you go to inspect you halve to return to the flight deck, this is a two storie aircraft upper and lower deck, a daily pre flight was about a quarter mile internal and the external was done with a maintenance skiff a pre flight took 2 to 3 hours MJRM was the high lite of my Maintenance career when I hear or listen to anything about aircraft maintenance I just yawn

[@alzheimer7629]

As much as I enjoy the videos, I get more from reading the comments by those who share their experiences of such wonderful aircraft.

[@peterjohnston4638]

I am lucky to be able to see the two remaining Mars water bombers, Hawaii and Philippine, on a daily basis, as I work for Coulson Aviation at the Tanker Base on Sproat Lake, British Columbia. Even though they no longer fly, they are still magnificent aircraft to see, especially up close, where you can really appreciate their immense size. Their military origins and long history in fighting forest fires in B.C. has made them true legends of aviation. It was recently announced, in the local news, that they are up for sale.

[@gaius_enceladus]

*Wonderful* aircraft! I really hope they can be saved and put in an aviation museum somewhere!

[@whirledpeas3477]

All dark skies videos should come with a double shot expresso

[@waysofseeing1]

I live on Vancouver Island and in 2004 there was a fire in the Beaufort Range above our village. One or two Martin Mars from Sproat Lake were involved and would fill up in a nearby bay and then fly over the village gaining altitude to make their drop in sortie after sortie all day long. It was astonishing to watch. We were building a house at the time and would stop and pause each time one of these leviathans passed and we'd try and watch them make their drop shortly after with the spotter planes buzzing around like bees. It wasn't lost on us that we were witnessing something magnificent from another era. The fire, up near Tsable Lake, was extinguished over the course of the day. It was as though a Hayao Miyazaki animation had come to life.

[@sailorgeer]

I’ve lived in BC most of my life and I remember seeing these amazing planes fighting fires on several occasions. They always impressed ! I wish I had known more about this backstory and history at the time, it would have made the experience even better!

[@kimwit1307]

I hope that these planes can somehow find a good place where people can appreciate them. They've earned it.

[@chrishewitt1165]

My father was a fitter in the Australian airforce in ww11. He worked on many flying boat types. I have his photos. I love these aircraft. Excellent video

[@autodidact537]

When was World War Eleven? LOL

[@kieranstevens2688]

What a fantastic video! I'm a wildfire fighter in British Columbia. I have pictures of the Hawai mars picking up water in front of my grandma's house on the lake in 1998. It was a huge reason why the fire didn't take the town I grew up in. Every year we have a bad fire season (which is just about every year now) there's always petitions going around to get the government to contract the mars to help. You would be amazed, some of them get tens of thousands of signatures. People love the thing here, and rightly so. The most humourous petition to go around concerning the mars was a few years ago when we had really bad flooding. People wanted it to come and try and lower the level of the lake, it was hilarious. I saw recently that Hawaii was for sale. Sad to not see them in the sky anymore.

[@demian7567]

I saw one of these fly overhead when it was helping fight fires in california about ten years ago. I heard it coming from a long ways away, and nothing else really sounds like it.

[@joshring9710]

Salute to mars pilot flying in that emergency after the plane had been decommissioned for over 2 years.

[@vectors2final36]

I've seen the Martin Mars fighting wildfires in SoCal a couple times in the 2000's. It was impressive to see the giant plane landing in Lake Elsinore to scoop up water.

[@rayjames6096]

That one in 2007 was the Hawaii Mars.

[@tjm3900]

I have seen these planes in action several times, to see them pick up water and take off under full power is something I could never forget. You feel the sound in your whole body ! I recently learned they will be a permanent display at a museum Victoria British Columbia.

[@waynemerlo7448]

Just the Hawaii Mars is going there. The Phillipine is going to Pima Museum in Arizona.

[@thebobloblawshow8832]

Excellent history lesson. I’m from BC and most people my age know of those amazing giants.

[@edwardcarberry1095]

The three used to sit down the far end over on the Vic Airport, parents never took me over that end always wanted to see them closer up.

[@TheWolfsnack]

Until BC got it's worst Premier....

[@autodidact537]

@@TheWolfsnack That would be Glen Clark.

[@TheWolfsnack]

@@autodidact537 ...I thought that too until Gordo

[@millerkriese3064]

Yeah they are extremely inefficient at actually fighting fires. There is a reason they have been decommissioned, mostly due to ridiculous cost and inflexibility due to its size and takeoff distance.

[@UbiqueTransport]

This is the 1st DarkSkies video to bring a tear to my eyes.

[@larslarsman]

So many older firebombers I've seen lately flying out of Fresno, Calif, have been retrofitted with turboprop engines. On the Mars, they would save a lot of weight over the piston engines. Maintenance minimal compared to labor intensive piston engines.

[@SierraThunder]

I know what you mean, I live by the airport & get to see the military aircraft that I helped to convert to tanker use up at Aero Union in Chico. It's kind of a two-edged sword feeling, on one hand, I love to see them flying, but on the other hand, when they fly, it's due to something highly serious, especially in the days of the mega-drought we're all living in. Fresno's become one of the main tanker bases for the southwest due to it's fairly centralized location, and yes, having those two remaining Martins to use would be nice, alas, due to the lack of a dedicated landing gear, making it virtually impossible to base them both at any airfield, plus the cost of maintenance & scarcity of parts to bear in mind, I'm very afraid that unless one of these uber-wealthy billionaires buy them to keep as air show flyover aircraft, then their days are unfortunately numbered. Mores the pity...

[@Fierofreak01]

Look up Kermit Weeks here on KZbin to get an up close and personal tour of one of the Mars aircraft. He goes through the whole aircraft and it really give a sense of its grand scale!

[@skypedog5]

In the early 70's I was weekending at Yellow Point Lodge (Nanaimo BC) when all of the Lodge guests spent a very sunny Sunday afternoon on the beach while watching a Mars do many, many water pickups a few hundred meters away to quench a nearby forest fire. Always remember that day. The flight deck of the Mars is about the size of a living room!

[@andywhite40]

Really interesting video about an aircraft I knew nothing about. Surely such a piece of history should be at the top of any aviation museum's list?? I really hope both of these aircraft can be preserved for posterity.

[@UbiqueTransport]

Kinda hope Kermit Weeks buys one.

[@DaVe-iSnOtHoMe.MaN.LemmingsWeB]

The last airworthy mars is for sale 5 million cad

[@elanthys]

@@UbiqueTransport AFAIK he had to decline because they can't afford it.

[@BaronBoar]

I live in the town the last two are located. I hope they don't go. Being that I live here I have seen them a lot growing up here. Seen them fight fires. Sometimes they almost appear to be moving so slow sometimes that you wonder how they can fly. I think the company that owns them wants to sell them to help improve and increase his current fleet of firefighting planes. One of the ones is painted up just like the old navy colours.

[@nathanchildress5596]

Hehe I bet your pronunciation of Alameda is how it was originally meant to be said, but we say it with a long E. Regardless it’s so cool to have such a slice of history near where I grew up. I’ve stayed overnight on the USS Hornet, visited the aviation museum there, learned to drive on the old naval base, and I even spend time at the skatepark there with old warships in clear view. One of the best places in the East Bay Area

[@SJR_Media_Group]

Can you imagine a fleet of Spruce Gooses. It was bigger than Martin flying boat by a long ways. They could have hauled passengers or troops, equipment, freight, had hotel accommodations, etc.

[@elsullo2]

If only they had been allowed to use aluminum for the construction!...........................elsullo

[@elanthys]

Hughes hated that name, they'd be a fleet of Hercules 😉

[@skyforce3580]

Living on Vancouver Island I've had these aircraft fly over at low level a few times. You could feel them coming, even indoors

[@markmarco2880]

Fantastic is how this plane stirs the emotions. Much like an old movie star…

[@pickelskin9848]

I have had the honor of seeing both Hawaii and Philippines in action in the mid 90's fighting fires in the Okanagan scooping from Skaha Lake. I was godsmacked I will never forget.

[@randyp3675]

One of the most famous planes in B.C.'s history, a Martin Mars water bomber used to carry and drop vast amounts of water on wildfires, is for sale for $5 million. "The opportunity to purchase and preserve a unique part of aviation history is now available for the discerning buyer, or donor," says the listing from the California-based seller, Platinum Fighter Sales.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Back in 1994-ish, I was visiting Vancouver Island and drove by the seaplane base on the lake and saw on of the Mars aircraft in the orange livery, and they are HUGE. The Spruce Goose is more huge, but to see one out in the wild really give you an appreciation for how large they are. Thank you Dark Skies.

[@shadow4evr]

Love this video. One of them flew LOW over my parents house in Black Creek in the early 90’s - and I live about an hours drive away from them currently.

[@stevebfpv1357]

I made a point of visiting the Mars tankers every time I was driving through Sproat Lake. I even got a tour of Hawaii once. I loved sitting in the cockpit and the old reliable technology of that massive bird. I've enjoyed fishing and watching the planes taking off and landing. Vancouver Island residents do miss seeing them in operations for sure.

[@johnnieangel99]

Built about 10 miles from me. I hope the last one gets to return home. It's for sale and the Museum would love to have it back where it was built

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

Then do something. Talk to the museum and local merchants about a fundraiser.

[@johnnieangel99]

@@wintersbattleofbands1144 They are aware of the sale. The Museum is very small. They are trying to find a way to bring their aircraft home. I'm not sure why you responded as you did. But thank you for responding

[@normferguson2769]

I was camping near Nelson, BC and head a radial engine startup. I ran down to the water and there was a Mars anchored a couple hundred yards away. Love the sound of those engines.

[@dennisclapp7527]

It is, in my opinion, a shame that such well engineered and well made machines weren't more used.

[@graham2631]

I've seen the Martian Mars up close a few times in their battle with fire. Watched one from drop to pickup could see the whole circuit from our boat. We stayed tight to the shore they scooped in the channel 150feet away I could see the pilots head in window. Watched about 10 cycles. The other time the town I lived in had fire on 2 sides water on one six foot old growth burning like matches. On the second day with dads on roofs putting out embers kids putting out stuff on the ground in came two Martin Mars it's indescribable to express the experience of those monsters flying threw smoke dropping so close you could feel the coolness of the drop. Four hours and fire out. Absolutely nothing ive seen since tops that day for sheer sensory overload. A friend of mine was coming down the Malahat to Victoria when fighting a fire on Bear mountain one went in the smoke and didn't come out. She said it looked like they were, in her words "hot doging". The pieces are still on the mountain side. If you want to experience a Mars just stand on a hyway and get 36 hells angels to ride full throttle straight at you.

[@Jve4]

A person could own one of these, Mars Hawaii is for sale for 3,000,000 currently I believe, I always knew these as firefighting aircraft. Interesting to know they originated as military aircraft. Great video.

[@crackmonkeynet]

5 mill asking price

[@radarmike6713]

The MARS were the godfather's of the bombardier CL 215 . They proved that the aquatic water bomber was an amazing fire fighting platform. It's a shame they are left to languish where they are. But the saved MILLIONS of aches of forests and 10"s of thousands of homes and property. It's is an example of the amazing aviation engineering and abilities of Canada back post wwIi. Shame we've lost that here in Canada.

[@turkeytrac1]

Actually, the 215 are the opposite of the MARS. They don't require large deep lakes to reload. And can visit the fire site more times in an hour.

[@turkeytrac1]

Oh and venture aviation of Calgary and Victoria are looking to build both the CL 215 and the turboprop CL 415 again.

[@428ghost]

TBM Avengers were used by the New Brunswick forrestry service as water bombers until recently. I drove by the fleet in 07 and took a triple-take at all the warbirds in civlilian colours.

[@bushcraftnorthof6012]

I remember seeing those! So cool.

[@dast0m526]

These are stationed not far from me, very nice to see a video on them from you!

[@michaeltrumper]

I grew up on Vancouver Island and spent much of my summers at Sproat Lake which was the home base of these marvels. Favourite pastime as a young teen would be to take our small boats out to jump the massive wakes these boats would leave when taking off or landing. The were key to the identify of the community as they would do a flyover during local fairs or derbies and were ever present in the skies during summer forest fire seasons. They are remembered fondly.

[@jimhunter4880]

As a child in the late fifties/early sixties I was enthralled with the huge size of the Mars as depicted in Dad's vintage Air News Yearbook. Great to see film of the evolution and history of the two survivors and hear they are being preserved. The USN should preserve one for the East coast at Pensacola, FL. The second could be available at the West coast at either Corpus Christi, TX with the carrier Lexington or San Diego to go with the carrier Midway. Do it with private donations. Let us hope so.

[@bryanparkhurst17]

I love when you do Martin aircraft. My grandmother and aunt worked for Martins during the war. Got some great stories from them, love that you fill in the blanks.

[@johndavis6119]

I used to live across the street and just behind the Martin Marietta complex and the Glen L. Martin State Airport. The old sea plane ramp was still at the end of the runway. While the complex across the lagoon was making missiles when I lived down in Middle River, there was a complex at the airport for testing nuclear reactors to power sea planes. I worked on security at the airport in the late 70s and it was fascinating going through the old buildings. Middle River was a neat place back then.

[@leobaker8762]

One of my favorite airplanes! For years the only information I had was a small navy book from pearl during the war. My dad mentioned seeing the first one flying over pearl

[@tommym6335]

Thanks for posting this video! Love anything Martin Mars related!

[@bacburrito4225]

Thank you for sharing this video, their longevity is incredible. The B-52’s might have a better record but it’s a mass-produce plane backed by US government. For These to last as long as they did is amazing.

[@string-bag]

I miss seeing them, every time I heard one fly over I would run outside to see it :( Now up for sale.

[@msa4548]

That's an incredible service life from these, hopefully the last two will find their way into a museum.

[@williamkaylor1191]

Love this channel...Im a. history. buff since a child, esp WWII and the American Civil War. Love it when I see a documentary about something I know little about, and it turns. out to be this interesting. The AMrs that is in Navy colors should deifinately be in Pensacola @ the museum. I visited it in the 90's and found it so good that I went back when vacationing 3 years in a row. If youare a fan of military aviation, its a must see

[@VisualSolution4u]

Outstanding stuff, thanks for posting!

[@rustykilt]

Hopefully these two incredible giants will be preserved...if only for display.

[@robertgarrett5009]

I saw these flying in the okanagan from the lake about 20 years back. Big and loud planes.

[@supergeek1418]

Another excellent video. Thank you!

I live in north vancouver bc and they've saved our neighborhood many times over the years ❤

[@claytonhowe2309]

My absolute pleasure to tour Hawaii Mars on assignment to our So. Cal Fires. Coulson's were really kind. Aircraft is beautiful and amazingly HUGE! Please preserve them somehow.

[@richardglady3009]

Thank you for telling this story.

[@TomokosEnterprize]

The last (Hawaii Mars) lives close to me. She is one big tanker for sure. She has my attention every time I drive by when she is home.

[@luistaborda7757]

Wonderful history of these flying-boats.

[@Reddog794]

top shelf quality content again, thanks for sharing.

[@RNOBGE]

seen one of the water bombers at EAA air show in 2016 demo water pickup and water drops . Sadly on one of the water pickup runs it hit bottom and damaged the haul

[@autodidact537]

"haul?" LOL

[@RNOBGE]

@@autodidact537 my bad hull

[@joekurtz8303]

Got to see one in Port of Long Beach once during fire season. LA county was shopping options and went with the smaller Super Scooper instead Watched her take off, Amazing Long taxing in the harbor & finally airborne. One lap around, then north home to 🇨🇦( BC)

[@Lemurion287]

I remember seeing them back around 1980 when I spent part of a summer working up at Sproat Lake. Nothing I had ever seen before had quite prepared me for them.

[@MrBravo3600]

I used to watch the last of these beasts fight fires up in BC when I was younger. Truly a sight to see

[@billspooks]

I have heard many times about the Martin Mars during my lifetime. The planes are legendary.

[@davegoldspink5354]

Totally awesome aircraft and video thanks for sharing.

[@darkartsleather5586]

Awesome! I lived in Port Alberni and remember seeing these water bombers flying to and from Sproat Lake. Kermit Weeks has some amazing videos regarding the aircraft.

[@davidbarnsley8486]

What absolutely amazing aircraft Sometimes the designers just get it so right 👍👍👍 Great video

[@petergraves2085]

Absolutely fascinating - in the details of development, use and accompanying photos.

[@Outlawoverlanding2015]

Being from BC these planes are iconic and I loved seeing them fly.

[@IsCa33pro]

I really enjoy your voice and i always find your videos really informative! Much love from sweden!

[@shareurtube]

That still is a great looking aircraft. So functional and practical is so many ways.

[@dutchman7216]

Thank you really enjoy this documentary.

[@legohead6]

I was fortunate enough to get a personal tour inside the Hawaii mars about 8 years ago. In the right place at the right time. Was Very cool.

[@stephenland9361]

One day I was driving from Port Alberni on Vancouver Island over to Tofino. I saw a sign, "Martin Mars Water Bomber" or something like that. It was Coulson Aviation's "Hawaii Mars" waterbomber stationed at Sproat Lake. I drove in and had a look. It was gigantic, huge, unbelievably big. I had trouble believing something that big, could scoop up 27 tons of water and still keep airborne. Well, as the Hawaii Mars would say, "Hold my Mai Tai!!".

[@oneshotme]

Enjoyed the video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@Year2047]

Remarkable aircraft. Thanks for the great episode.

[@Ketel.Binkie]

Flying boats are amazing.

[@josephsullivan5145]

Talked with the daughter of the man who pushed for the purchase of the Mars planes for fire tanker purposes. She loved those planes and I could have listened to her for hours. Amazing planes!!

[@Eljefe003]

Have never heard this before! You are good.

[@jason1moran146]

Wider than a B52 by 15 feet folks.

[@ml.2770]

Hawaii Mars II will become part of the BC Aviation Museum in Victoria in 2024. She is currently being readied for one final flight from Sproat Lake to Victoria. What will happen to Phillipine Mars is still unknown.

[@velchuck]

Absolutely beautiful aircraft!

[@josenighthawk]

Of all seaplanes, I submit that, BY FAR!, the coolest and most romantic was the Sikorsky S-38, first introduced in 1928, with possibly the lowest fatalities and injuries (most likely because it is primarily an amphibian), and there are still two or three left in pristine flying conditions! ... It was the 'Air Yacht' (though a small one) - a bi-plane that can stay afloat at even 60 miles/hour (you can even open it's sliding windows to take in the sights!), and where the high-heeled would fly off to secluded spots on the ocean, to sweam and even barbeque on its long flat nose! ... (It even appeared in Martin Scorcese's film, The Aviator, with Leonardo DiCaprio.) ... it is the EPITOME of ROMANCE!! ... Lord! Sikorsky HAS to bring it back! (with all the efficiencies and securities of modern technology, of course!)

[@raindogs451]

The US air force museum in Dayton, Ohio at Wright Patterson Air Force Base is a stupendous national treasure, unknown to too many. This would be a great addition to the museum

[@HOWNDOG66]

Living in Port Alberni area we miss these. This July there will be a final flight and celebration as the last does a farewell flight to a museum in Victoria. Looking forward and also sad that this will probably be the last time we’ll ever see them fly.

[@davemachoukas6175]

Awsome! Never knew what great history lesson

[@robbo11a]

Brilliant video, thank you. I’ve actually one of only 2 flying RC models in the UK of the Mars!

[@darrellscholl2973]

Usually I’m not interested in flying boats. But that dark blue paint on the Philippines looks really good.

[@iBackshift]

My next older sister is the manager for [Coulson] maintenance records for those planes. It makes me giggle every time I see one of those planes in media, I say to myself "my big sis manages a portion of that plane" haha.

[@iBackshift]

Update - Earlier this month [May 2024] My big sister took my Dad and I on a tour of the HM, around it and inside when the mechanics were on lunch hour. Got to sit in the captain's seat and make plane engine noises. What a joy to see this plane. Standing at the tail, looking up at the size of it is jaw dropping. Thanks to Coulson for letting us see the HM before she's takes off to the BC Museum.

[@mrfriz4091]

Always good posts from Dark Skies. Like Joe Friday, just the facts!

[@robbabcock_]

Fascinating ship/plane!

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thanks

[@dahutful]

Best channel on KZbin