Philippine Mars

On February 10, 2025 the last airworthy Martin JRM Mars made its final landing at Lake Pleasant Arizona, marking the end of an era.Philippine Mars – JRM-1 BuNo 76820, delivered to the USN on 26 June 1946 and assigned to VR-2 at NAS Alameda, California. Converted and re-designated JRM-3. Withdrawn from service on 22 August 1956 and sold in 1959, it was converted to forest fire fighting aircraft and registered CF-LYK (later C-FLYK). The aircraft continued to fly with Flying Tankers Incorporated until she and the Hawaii Mars were purchased in 2007 by the Coulson Group.On 9 February 2025, Philippine Mars left Sproat Lake for the final time, lifting off at 11:03am PST. The aircraft made a fast pass of the bomber base, Harbour Quay and Port Alberni paper mill, before departing the area via the Alberni Inlet. Multiple general aviation aircraft were present in the area prior to, and during the departure. The aircraft was visible on several coastal webcams along its route of flight, up to and including its approach into San Francisco Bay. About midway through the journey, Philippine Mars was joined by two vintage aircraft, a privately registered Howard DG15 (N858H) and a PBY Vultee 28 Catalina (N9767, owned by Soaring by the Sea Foundation of Eugene, Oregon). Both aircraft followed Philippine for several miles between Lincoln City and Florence, Oregon, with Philippine adjusting her speed to accommodate them. Following a successful landing in San Fransisco Bay, the aircraft was towed to a mooring buoy at the Alameda Seaplane Base, to await its final planned flight to an undisclosed lake, where it is due to be disassembled at its factory assembly joints and transported the remaining distance to Pima Air & Space Museum by road.On February 10, 2025, Philippine Mars departed San Fransisco Bay, lifting off at 11:57am PST. The aircraft flew outbound over the Golden Gate Bridge and followed the coast past Santa Cruz and Monterey before flying inland toward its final destination of Lake Pleasant, Arizona. As the aircraft neared Palm Springs, California, it was joined by an array of historic aircraft, including the world's only remaining airworthy Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer (N2871G), as well as a P-51D Mustang (N44727), which escorted the aircraft the remaining distance to Lake Pleasant, Arizona. Philippine Mars landed without incident, and officially marked the end of an era by successfully completing the last flight of a Martin Mars aircraft. Philippine Mars will be de-watered in the coming days, while a timeline for when preparations will begin for dismantling of the aircraft has yet to be released.

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