BeechTalk - BT - C-FLYK Philippine Mars last flight 2 Pima Air & Space Museum

Username Protected · **Posted:** 11 Jan 2025, 07:03

Now running on the lake under its own power.

Ruth McCubbin is with Campbell McCubbin.
13h ·
The Philippine Martin Mars water bomber made a test run through the Satellite Channel, past Arbutus Ridge early this afternoon. Engine troubles have stalled the flight to her permanent home at the air museum in Pima, Arizona...

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Username Protected · **Posted:** 12 Jan 2025, 06:48

A link to a flight showing on Flightaware on the 10th, and a post from Facebook.
The Philippine Mars appears to be back on Sprout Lake for more engine swaps from the Hawaii Mars. Shouldn't be too much longer before it is ready for its journey.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/CFLYK

Spotter Magazine · Follow
12h ·
Philippine Mars is limping back to its home base for an engine change. The aircraft had departed its base in Sproat Lake three weeks ago, headed to San Francisco and then San Diego, with an inland leg to an undisclosed desert lake, before reaching its new home at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
But it had to make an emergency landing in Patricia Bay on Dec. 15, and was moored there over Christmas and into the new year amid a series of storms, as Coulson Aviation determined its next move.
Last Monday, Philippine Mars was towed from Patricia Bay to Cowichan Bay, where Coulson plans to swap an engine from sister plane, Hawaii Mars.
Following this engine change, Philippine Mars will be flown out of Cowichan Bay and back to Sproat Lake, where Coulson crews will likely take the remaining two working engines from Hawaii Mars and put them on Philippine Mars.
Photo: Rob Frolic

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Image 32.jpeg

Username Protected · **Posted:** 12 Jan 2025, 07:47

This is an amazing saga about an aircraft that represents the pinnacle of obsolete aviation technology.
Like the last coal fueled locomotives built, they are special in that they are the best and last (benefiting from lessons learned) of a technological marvel of its era.
Flying boats were the solution to bringing aviation to remote locations, but WW2 resulted in runways long enough to handled long range airplanes being constructed in those remote locations, making flying boats economically obsolete.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_JRM_Mars

Kudos to all the folks who are working to get the plane to Tucson, it needs to be preserved for future generations to wonder at.

The difficulties they are experiencing getting the last flying Mars going points to the difficulties crews must have had to deal with during their last years of operation as fire bombers.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 12 Jan 2025, 11:37

Username Protected wrote:

This is an amazing saga about an aircraft that represents the pinnacle of obsolete aviation technology.
Like the last coal fueled locomotives built, they are special in that they are the best and last (benefiting from lessons learned) of a technological marvel of its era.
Flying boats were the solution to bringing aviation to remote locations, but WW2 resulted in runways long enough to handled long range airplanes being constructed in those remote locations, making flying boats economically obsolete.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_JRM_Mars

Kudos to all the folks who are working to get the plane to Tucson, it needs to be preserved for future generations to wonder at.

The difficulties they are experiencing getting the last flying Mars going points to the difficulties crews must have had to deal with during their last years of operation as fire bombers.

Very well said!

Dan

Username Protected · **Posted:** 12 Jan 2025, 20:35

Be kinda cool if the Philippine Mars could do one last drop on the So Cal fires
But that is not gong to happen

Username Protected · **Posted:** 31 Jan 2025, 07:35

It has been very quiet on the Philippine Mars.

We know the Philippine Mars returned to Sproat Lake and the engines are likely getting a thorough going over or swap. A few pictures have emerged of the Philippine Mars on Sprout Lake but a vacuum on news on any departure plans.

For departure, I could imagine that they would want some real tame VFR weather, just taking a quick look at the Prog Charts, it does not appear to be much of that in the NW for a few days.

As much as I would love to see in person, the Philippine Mars at it's expected interim destinations in San Francisco and San Diego, with the uncertain flight schedule that might be a real feat for me to accomplish, it would require a last minute ride on a Commercial Jet to San Diego with great timing, so videos and pictures are likely to have to suffice.

I am hoping to see the same, videos and pictures of its final landing at an as of yet undisclosed lake somewhere near the Pima Air and Space Museum. Open bodies of water are not plentiful in the area. I wonder how much space it needs to land, probably not much. The lake needs some sort of ramp, perhaps even temporary to haul it out of the water for disassembly.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 31 Jan 2025, 08:37

FIFY: Sproat Lake, BC

Username Protected · **Posted:** 05 Feb 2025, 18:49

Posted a few hours ago on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B9GsY9y58/

Great videos showing the Philippine Mars, engines running, with snow all around, brrrr.

Just to think, if I am not mistaken, Coulson has probably been running those engines every week for years on both their Mars aircraft.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Feb 2025, 07:50

Wow, the Philippine Mars, snuck out and landed in San Francisco, yesterday, Sunday February 9. I was busy at a BPT training clinic all weekend in Lakeland, FL then enjoyed watching the Super Bowl, so did not take the time to look for news.

According to the article, it will head to San Diego tomorrow, Tuesday, February 11.
The Mars will leave San Francisco Tuesday for San Diego where public events and media flights are planned.

I am going to finish my oil change and look for more details and pictures later.

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/re- ... 8252156E9T

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/CFLYK

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Feb 2025, 08:42

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Feb 2025, 17:56

I tried to find information on the ETA in SD tomorrow. If anyone knows or hears of that can you post it here please? I think I’ll go out to the Coronado Bridge and watch it splash down.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Feb 2025, 18:30

I just heard it from inside my hangar.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/CFLYK

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Feb 2025, 19:02

Looks like it is going straight to Tucson and bypassing San Diego. Can’t blame them given all of the problems they’ve had getting there. Why chance another landing and starting event?

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Feb 2025, 19:58

Username Protected wrote:

If you want to look at long flights for a 4-engine flying boat, don't forget the Boeing 314 that was out in the Pacific on Dec. 7, 1941. Fast conference on what to do.....do NOT come back to HNL. So, the plane and crew flew the rest of the way (westbound) around the world! They started out flying in the tropics, so when they arrived at the LGA terminal in winter, they all had only their tropical clothes.

A good read.
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Home-Re ... B00457XJ2K

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Feb 2025, 20:23

Username Protected wrote:

Looks like it is going straight to Tucson and bypassing San Diego. Can’t blame them given all of the problems they’ve had getting there. Why chance another landing and starting event?

Oh crap.

Yes, I can’t blame them either.

Thanks for posting, Tom. :thumbup: