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Ribbon Cutting Celebration For The Hawaii Mars Water Bomber
A ribbon-cutting celebration for the Hawaii Mars Water Bomber will take place on Friday, September 20, 2024, at 4:30 PM at the BC Aviation Museum, located at 1910 Norseman Road, North Saanich, BC. The event will be officiated by Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport, who will lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of this historic aircraft.
The Hawaii Mars Water Bomber, one of only two remaining in the world, arrived at its final resting place at the BC Aviation Museum in North Saanich, British Columbia on the evening of Wednesday, August 21, 2024, just after 9:00 pm. To celebrate this significant event, the museum will host an invitation-only ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, September 20, 2024, at 4:30 PM. The ceremony will be led by Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport, who will have the honor of cutting the ribbon in front of the iconic aircraft.
Photo via BC Aviation Museum
The Hawaii Mars has a storied history as a water bomber, and its preservation is a monumental achievement for British Columbia and Canada. Several key stakeholders who played vital roles in securing the aircraft’s future will be present at the event, including representatives from the Victoria International Airport, the Institute of Ocean Sciences, Coulson Aviation, and Nickel Brothers.
Photo by Ian Hunter
In addition to the ribbon-cutting, the ceremony will pay tribute to the Snowbirds, the Royal Canadian Air Force’s aerobatic team, for accompanying the final flight of the Hawaii Mars, which was witnessed by tens of thousands of spectators. Coulson Aviation, which generously donated the aircraft to the museum, will also be recognized, along with Nickel Brothers, whose efforts were instrumental in safely transporting the massive plane from the water, across the airport, and to its new permanent home at the museum.
Here are a few screenshots from the live feed of the Hawaii Mars arrival at its new home at the British Columbia Aviation Museum.
The event will include presentations from various stakeholders, and invited guests will have a rare opportunity to step inside the Hawaii Mars and witness firsthand the impressive scale of the aircraft and the effort involved in its preservation. The BC Aviation Museum’s acquisition of the Hawaii Mars marks a major milestone in the preservation of aviation history, and the upcoming event is set to honor those who made this achievement possible.
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
