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By Jim Messer, Chief Operating OfficerOperations

 

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long with the onset of summer temperatures (and fires) in coastal BC comes our last week of prep for two fire contracts for our aviation groups.

Sikorsky S-61 C-FCLM is undergoing maintenance and upgrades for a 120 day initial attack role based out of Santa Ynez California. The fuel and service trucks will depart this week- end with the aircraft following by June 9th. This contract is to carry a rappel crew and bucketing gear for initial attack deployment.

Hawaii Mars has completed her maintenance program and has been flying around the Island on post maintenance flight checks and crew training. A few snags has her pulled back out of the lake this week, but hopefully back up flying by Thursday. The caravan of support equipment will depart for Lake Elsinore this weekend, followed by the Hawaii Mars on June 10th.

The new Sikorsky S-76 bird dog platform was relocated to Port Alberni last Friday, and is just completing some paint and interior updating. Next steps will be to install the camera system and complete approvals. It will also ferry to Elsinore around June 10th.

The following is an email sent to Wayne and Jim from Andy Wallace, pilot.  Andy lives in Bellingham, and used to fly for Japan Airlines. His dad was chief pilot for M&B for a lot of years and he grew up around the Mars

“Gentlemen...Just wanted to say thank you for a great day on Sunday at the Alberni Flying Club Fly.  It was a great day and a great time was had by all. The use of the ramp facilities at your hangar, as well as the tours given at the base were very much appreciated by all.  A fantastic group of volunteers.  I was able to bring 6 folks along with myself in the Beech 18 to attend. (One of the group was lucky enough to win the lucky lottery draw later in the day.) I have been fortunate to have been around the Mars operation since its inception in 59-60 and it has been a wonderful journey watching it now achieving its 49th year of operation, but it is even more rewarding to watch the reaction of others seeing the operation and the Mars aircraft for the first time. Not to become complacent, I also still stand in awe whenever they fly. Thanks to John and Hugh for a great flyby at the airport
(squeezed into the training / maintenance flight/s schedule). Many thanks also to Peter Killen for doing touring folks on the flight deck of LYK – (it must have been close to
100 F in there). Everyone came away with a little more insight as to the operation and history of these great aircraft.

The new corporate regime over the past two years by the Coulson Group with the Mars operation has been the savior of these aircraft with them continuing to prove aerial fire fighting as the Mars is the premier "aerial fire truck" of the sky. Your corporate support for community events such as this is admirable and again, very much appreciated by all......Thank you.”

On Friday, May 29th Martin Mars Hawaii was launched on to Sproat Lake