81 replies to this topic

[Barrrister]

This is a really GREAT Museum.  Wonderful tour guides and tons of exhibits.

[LJ]

Helos look like they could use a little work.

[Victoria Watcher]

The B.C. Aviation Museum is setting up part of its restored Lancaster bomber at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney today in conjunction with a showing of a documentary on the legendary Second World War aircraft.

 

The Avro Lancaster FM 104 bomber has been the centre of restoration work for volunteers at the museum for the past five years, and the project to restore the workhorse of the war in Europe continues.

 

The front section and cockpit will be set up and floodlit for the gala event, which includes the showing of the 2022 film ­Lancaster. More than 300 tickets were purchased for the sold-out showing at the Charlie White Theatre.

 

The proceeds will go toward materials needed for the ­Lancaster restoration and other projects, such as new hangars to display aircraft.

 

The public is invited to come and view the front portion of the bomber — which is 22 feet long, 12 feet high and eight feet wide — and see displays of artifacts associated with the aircraft, such as authentic uniforms and radios.

 

 

https://www.timescol...showing-8160059

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 January 2024 - 04:46 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Pilots of all ages can climb into the cockpit at BC Aviation Museum

 

By-donation event runs Sunday, Feb. 18 at the North Saanich museum

 

 

 

 

Anyone can climb into the cockpit of a handful of iconic Canadian aircraft at the BC Aviation Museum this weekend.

 

The North Saanich site offers by-donation admission, and a chance to climb into a Lockheed CT-133, Grumman Tracker, Convair 580, Sikorsky S-55 helicopter and VIH Kamov helicopter with Open Cockpit Day.

 

 

________

 

Supervised by volunteers, the cockpits are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18 at the BC Aviation Museum, 1910 Norsman Rd.

 

 

https://www.vicnews....-museum-7318845

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 February 2024 - 07:41 PM.

[max.bravo]

Ive recommended this place before and I’ll say it again. Fun for kids of all ages. Older guys especially love getting up close and personal with all kinds of cool airplanes, military gear, and chatting with the knowledgeable volunteers (most of whom seem to be retired pilots and their wives).
Our family has an annual pass.

Edited by max.bravo, 16 February 2024 - 07:50 PM.

[Mike K.]

The Province is making a Mars waterbomber announcement tomorrow AM at the musuem.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Silver Star is nice.

 

https://bcam.net/loc...33-silver-star/

[Victoria Watcher]

The famed Martin Mars bomber, a massive water tanker aircraft used for fighting fires for more than a half-century in British Columbia, is expected to make its last flight this fall when it will be flown to North Saanich for a permanent display in the B.C. Aviation Museum.

 

The province will announce details of the plan at noon today to fly the bomber from its base on the shores of Sproat Lake in Port Alberni.

 

Richard Mosdell, the aviation museum’s project lead on procuring the Hawaii Mars — the last aircraft of its kind, confirmed a deal has been struck with the plane’s owners, the Coulson Group of Companies, the province and the aviation museum to bring the bomber south.

 

But specific details will be made by the province, he said.

 

The Hawaii Mars has not flown any firefighting missions since 2015 and has been sitting idle at Coulson’s Sproat Lake Air base since its retirement.

 

Lana Popham, minister of tourism, and Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, will gather with representatives from the B.C. Aviation Museum and Coulson Aviation to make the announcement and tour the Hawaii Martin Mars water bomber.

 

The announcement is also expected to include preparations to get the big plane airworthy and other logistics for the move, including assembling the necessary pilots, engineers and other specialized crew.

 

 

https://www.timescol...-museum-8520547

[lanforod]

If they're gonna make it airworthy... why not use it to fight some fires?

[Victoria Watcher]

It’s not very effective fighting fires. It’s not accurate or manoeuvrable enough. In short, it must fly too high to pinpoint the leading edge of fires properly. And it is limited in service area because it needs a long lake with limited nearby mountains for pickup area. Sheer volume alone does not automatically make for the best fighting craft.

It does seem like a lot of work they want to do to it just for one more flight.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 March 2024 - 07:45 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Historic B.C. Martin Mars water bomber will fly one last time

Hawaii Mars will have a new home at the British Columbia Aviation Museum

https://www.vicnews....st-time-7335287

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 March 2024 - 12:38 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Province to provide $250,000 to help preserve iconic Martin Mars water bomber

The Hawaii Martin Mars’s final flight is expected before the end of 2024 and will be a multi-phased process that includes passing federal inspections, crew training and test flights.

https://www.timescol...-bomber-8526568

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 March 2024 - 01:07 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Province to provide $250,000 to help preserve iconic Martin Mars water bomber

The Hawaii Martin Mars’s final flight is expected before the end of 2024 and will be a multi-phased process that includes passing federal inspections, crew training and test flights.

https://www.timescol...-bomber-8526568

 

 

 

Coulson Aviation will enlist five former certified maintenance engineers and four flight crew to complete about 10,000 hours of aircraft preparation and flight retraining over the next six months to prepare the red-and-white Hawaii Martin Mars for its last flight.

 

____________________

 

The museum attracts about 20,000 visitors a year, and having the water bomber is an opportunity to raise the profile of British Columbia’s aviation history.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...-bomber-8526568

 

 

 

The museum attracts about 20,000 visitors a year

 

 

 

^ they really need to work on that.   That's only 55 per day.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 March 2024 - 05:00 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

It’s not very effective fighting fires. It’s not accurate or manoeuvrable enough. In short, it must fly too high to pinpoint the leading edge of fires properly. And it is limited in service area because it needs a long lake with limited nearby mountains for pickup area. Sheer volume alone does not automatically make for the best fighting craft.

It does seem like a lot of work they want to do to it just for one more flight.

 

 

https://www.facebook...CAviationMuseum

 

[Mike K.]

How have fires "advanced" due to climate change?

[Victoria Watcher]

Ya. Good laugh there.

[spanky123]

Coulson Aviation will enlist five former certified maintenance engineers and four flight crew to complete about 10,000 hours of aircraft preparation and flight retraining over the next six months to prepare the red-and-white Hawaii Martin Mars for its last flight.

 

 

How much to disassembly the plane, truck it to Sidney and then put it back together? $20K?

[Victoria Watcher]

I would think more than that. It might actually be too big to carry. It’s only 13 feet wide but it’s 33 feet tall.

[max.bravo]

My cursory research leads me to the same conclusion. It’s 120’ long, which might be doable. But the height is probably what makes it impossible. Lots of low overheads between port alberni and sidney.

I bet they could barge it from the alberni inlet to Patricia bay though. However it might cost around the same as to make it airworthy?

[max.bravo]

wait, it floats... so they'd just need to pull it onto a trailer at sproat lake, truck it to the inlet, and then use tugs to tow it around to patricia bay. that would be quite the feat, especially in west coast waters.