Here Comes the Mars Bomber!

[grammafreddy]

Huge bomber to douse stubborn Alberta fire
CBC News
Posted: Jun 3, 2011 2:45 PM MT
Last Updated: Jun 3, 2011 8:08 PM MT


A Martin Mars flying boat water bomber makes a demonstration drop of some 27,000 litres of water (Canadian Press)


The largest water bomber in the world is flying to Alberta from British Columbia to help fight wildfires in the oilsands region.

Alberta Sustainable Resources says the Martin Mars is to begin dropping huge loads of water Saturday on the Richardson backcountry fires.

The fires have been burning north of Fort McMurray for about three weeks in a 3,600 square kilometre area.

Oilsands companies in the region continue to reduce staff in northeast Alberta because of the fires.

The four-engine Martin Mars will be based on Gregoire Lake.

The Second World War-era aircraft can scoop up 27,000 litres of water for each flight.

[MAPearce]

Those things are simply AWESOME.

[Captain Awesome]

Technically, this is the largest water bomber:



Holds 3 times as much as Mars one.

[Jeckle]

Those things are simply AWESOME.

They are Awesome!
Every time they fly over my house we all run out to see!
Most everyone in town does.
I live in Port Alberni. (only thing we can brag about are the Bombers...lol)

[MAPearce]

Those things are simply AWESOME.

They are Awesome!
Every time they fly over my house we all run out to see!
Most everyone in town does.
I live in Port Alberni. (only thing we can brag about are the Bombers...lol)

You can brag about Sproat Lake too !

[vmichelle]

Those things are simply AWESOME.

They are Awesome!
Every time they fly over my house we all run out to see!
Most everyone in town does.
I live in Port Alberni. (only thing we can brag about are the Bombers...lol)

You can brag about Sproat Lake too !

I second that.

All my family is from PA. I love Sproat Lake, and I love how you can drive your boat under and around the bombers if they're hanging around.

[MAPearce]

Those things are simply AWESOME.

They are Awesome!
Every time they fly over my house we all run out to see!
Most everyone in town does.
I live in Port Alberni. (only thing we can brag about are the Bombers...lol)

You can brag about Sproat Lake too !

I second that.

All my family is from PA. I love Sproat Lake, and I love how you can drive your boat under and around the bombers if they're hanging around.

I hail from the south Island but remember Port very well... Had a buddy who owned the Southwind and my sis lived in Tofino. Stopping to see the Mars was always a highlight.

Loved to see them in action here in "03". The size of those things cast a shadow large enough to darken the shop I was in at the time. Just LOVE those planes .....

[Jeckle]

Sproat lake is beautiful if you know where the beaches are.
We have been hit with very hard times, lots of job loss and rising property taxes. (I'm lucky to be rural)
All I can really say now is that it's a great place to visit.

[vmichelle]

Sproat lake is beautiful if you know where the beaches are.
We have been hit with very hard times, lots of job loss and rising property taxes. (I'm lucky to be rural)
All I can really say now is that it's a great place to visit.

Yeah, I hate to agree with you there. My uncles always seem to be out of work whenever I talk to them. That's the pulp mill for you...

When I used to visit Port we had this beautiful cabin that we would rent on the lake. There would be about 6 or 7 of us staying there while family came and go. For two weeks the only time I would leave the cabin was by boat and it would just be to cruize around. The odd time I've gone downtown I was never impressed, not a place I could live in. I understand why my mom left right out of high school.