Phillipine Mars has made its first flight in 17 years, that was a test flight in preparation for a final flight to a museum in Yuma Arizona. The flight is upcoming and weather dependent so it's not scheduled.
Final flight of Hawaii Mars to flight museum in Victoria:
Phillipine won't get the send off Hawaii received
We were out on the island back in August so I missed the return to flight for the Hawaii Mars by just a few days. Fortunately the afternoon we went to visit the bomber base outside of Port Alberni they were having an open house for the community so we were able to go right down to the water to see the Hawaii out on it's moor and get right up under the Philipine.
Really cool. My luck if I had been there in my boat is I would have wound up being right in the plane's path where he wanted to land. Like the time I drifted into the sail boat regatta race's triangular course.
My first thought is that thing is like a bumblebee -- no way it can fly. Very cool!
"Final flight". Until some group gets the idea to restore it to operation and then inevitably lawn-darts it after a few years, like so many of these historical aircraft.
In reply to NickD :
Imagine if someone said the same thing about a steam engine?
Aircraft are meant to be flown.
In reply to Appleseed :
At least accidents with steam locomotives are exceedingly rare (the incident at Strasburg last year was the first in the US in a very long time, and was only minor damage), and when they break they typically just stop where they are, instead of plummeting to the ground (the last steam locomotive in the US to be completely destroyed in operation would be, uh, the '50s in general revenue service, Rhinebeck Aerodrome alone had two crashes this year).
Steam locomotives are also subject to exceedingly strict federal oversight, and while aircraft supposedly are, I've heard of some pretty frightening vintage wrecks taking to the air through lax inspections. I read an account of someone who rode with Collings Foundation on their B-17 during a ferry move not long before they wadded that one up and he said right after takeoff they shut down one engine, which they had just idled during takeoff, saying that engine was tired and they just had it running to meet requirements. He saw some other hair-raising practices during the flight, and then when it was wrecked it was found that pretty much everything on the aircraft was completely worn out and the foundation was skirting pretty much every regulation and no one caught it.
I just wonder at what point with vintage aircraft does it become a case of "Maybe we should stop flying this particular model"? Or at least consider a change to some of the big air show practices, like that collision in 2022? When there is only one left? There's a group restoring a P-61 to operation and I'm thinking "Jeez, there's only four left."
Not going to Yuma.
Going to Pima Air and Space Musuem outside of Tuscon, AZ. Will land at Lake Roosevelt and be transported to Tuscon.
In reply to NickD :
I am a huge fan of historical aviation, especially WWII era, and I would much rather see them flying than in museums. Although, I would agree, those who fly them (or any plane) without following FAA regs on inspections and maintenance (there are a lot and are WAY more strict than what cars might have) are doing a great disservice to everyone involved.
Probably my favorite "museum" is the Chino museum in CA, and they are very focused on getting the planes flying. While it is great to see an actual plane in person, seeing, and hearing, them fly is an entirely different level. They are currently (about to?) get the US's first jet powered fighter (Bell P-59 Airacomet). I would very much like to see that fly!
Of course, many of these planes, especially WWI and WWII fighters are historically VERY prone to accidents. Most of that of course was the result of throwing 19 year olds into high performance planes, but, they are generally not optimized to be easy to fly, just to fight.
As an example of a great loss, Chino did manage to get a Northrop N1-M flying, which was a prototype development for the flying wing planes. I did eventually crash (engine issues, which as you can imagine, losing an engine in a small flying wing is a huge issue), but I am very happy to say I saw if fly numerous times, which was very cool to see!
Regarding Reinbeck and the WWI planes (which I haven't, but I would love to go see, and hear, them fly!). Those planes are very very "hinky" in how they operate (e.g. essentially no ability to steer once on the ground!). So accidents are far more likely (though generally at very low speeds). WWI plane though are also very basic in construction (e.g. no way you will have a flyable mostly original plane!) so are effectively super easy to rebuild. Almost the same could be said for some WWII planes (but they would need to be very valuable). Many cases of planes being effectively build from data plates (essentially VIN tags), which almost every part either replaced or rebuilt.
Rebuilding and even re-creating these planes only becomes easier with the advances in technology machining.
The Mars Martin would have to be kept on a body of water as it has no landing gear. Also to be noted they are fairly slow. Some years ago I saw Hawaii returning to PA from the BC interior the flight path was through Vancouver Harbour control zone. The plane was loud and slow from my vantage point it flew past at my elevation but to the south (there are some advantages to living up a mountain side)
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