Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: StarOfAfrica2 on December 14, 2004, 02:28:49 PM
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Saw this today and thought it was interesting enough to share.
http://starbulletin.com/2004/12/14/news/index4.html
I think it mentions at the end of the page, 2 of these planes are still flying on the west coast. I'd love to see one. I've always been fascinated by the pictures of the old Pan-Am clippers. Anyone know where they keep them?
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(http://www.timberwest.com/images/mm.jpg)
Martin Mars water bombers, owned by TimberWest subsidiary Flying Tankers Inc., have a proven track record as one of the best aircraft for initial attack in fire suppression. In addition to taking care of TW's lands, Flying Tankers has contracted out the Mars to the BC Forest Service, the Alberta Forest Service and Weyerhaeuser to fight fires.
A single drop from the Mars covers between 1.2 to 1.6 hectares. The two Mars usually work in tandem and can deliver 14,400 US gallons of suppressant for the initial attack on a fire, and continue delivering as much as 7,200 US gallons every seven minutes in sustained operations. No other aircraft in the world can deliver a massive 60,000-pound (27,216 kg) payload as quickly as the Mars.
timberwest (http://www.timberwest.com/compinfo_mm.cfm)
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Awesome, thanks for the info! I saw that the company that owns them was BC based, but I didnt know if the planes were kept there or not. Might have to fly that way next time I'm going home and see if I can get a peek at one. The pic of the Marshall Mars in the old photo had 100 sailors standing on the wings. It must be something to see one of those birds take off or land.
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They're kept on a lake near Port Alberni, about 1/4 up Vancouver Island, on the ocean side. Follow the links on the page previously posted, and they say you can come visit, if the planes are not out somewhere working.