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.

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.

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.

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.

Donations can be made through the museum’s website to help them continue this important work. GoFundMe webpage.