The retirement of the last Martin Mars water bomber, the largest piston-powered propeller-driven aircraft in the world, marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another for Wayne Coulson, head of Coulson Group of Companies in Port Alberni.
The Hawaii Mars has been pulled out of the water and is now parked on a ramp at Coulson’s Sproat Lake base, with the chances of it returning to firefighting service flickering like a dying ember. But even as the Hawaii Mars slips into history, a brand-new plane bearing Coulson’s name is creating a buzz south of the border. Since 2007, the province has given Coulson a direct-award contract for the Hawaii Mars. But starting next year, the province will invite competitive bidding for a $1.8-million aerial firefighting contract. The Hawaii Mars, which can pick up 27,000 litres as it skims the water, will not be considered. A direct-award contact for the water bomber — which has 53 years of history fighting B.C. wildfires — no longer makes economic sense, said Forests Minister Steve Thomson this week. “The decision was based on the fact here are more cost-effective, efficient options available due to advances in airplane technology,” Thomson said. Smaller aircraft with turbine engines and smaller drop patterns will be more suitable for B.C.’s mountainous terrain, he said. The news isn’t going over well with Island residents, many of whom have an emotional attachment to the aircraft. “I think the airplanes have been given a bum rap,” said Port Alberni’s Hugh Fraser, who piloted the Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars from 1977 to 2010. “There’s not an airplane in the world that can match what these can do under these conditions on Vancouver Island.”
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Airbus Group’s E-Fan demonstrator marked a new chapter in aviation history and opened the way to a new era of electric aircraft with its crossing of the English Channel today.From takeoff at England’s Lydd Airport to touchdown at Calais-Dunkerque Airport in France, the all-electric E-Fan demonstrator performed its crossing in 38 minutes. The E-Fan is bringing electric propulsion to the general aviation sector. Developed in an Airbus Group-led European programme, the E-Fan demonstrator was designed from the outset specifically for electric power – a world’s first.
Airbus Group's E-Fan demonstrator sets the stage for subsequent production versions: first, the two-seat E-Fan 2.0 version for basic pilot training, then the E-Fan 4.0, a four-seat airplane for full pilot licensing and the general aviation market. |
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