Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I was inspired to post these comments because of this great postcard I bought last weekend; I wish I had taken the photo:
This is one of my photos, showing a West Coast Airlines Twin Otter moments before landing at Coal Harbour:
Bob
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Very interesting photos Bob.
For plane enthusiasts, this would be great.
Bujutsu
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Aviation-Wise, Vancouver (no doubt like other large North American and European cities) is a busy place. On days with good weather, there seems to be scarcely a minute without a floatplane taking off or landing in Coal Harbour, or a helicopter flying over (there's a commercial helicopter company that operates from Coal Harbour), or an airliner landing at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) or taking off. I always enjoy looking up to see a huge airliner (often large Airbuses or Boeing Dreamliners) almost "floating" high over Vancouver as they approach the landing pattern. When there's a strong westerly wind blowing, the flightpath for the floatplanes taking off from Coal Harbour takes them almost directly over our apartment.
On occasion, a rare airplane makes a visit. One of those, several years ago, was one of the two Martin Mars seaplanes, built originally during the Second World War to ferry troops and war matériel to combat theatres. Following the war, they repurposed as water bombers. They were based at an airport near Terrace, BC. Not long after we retired to Vancouver, one of them was flown to Vancouver to demonstrate its water bomring capabilities. Here are some photos I took:
I'm not aware that any stamps picturing the Mars have been issued. If you know of any, please let me know!
Bob
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A quick Google and here you go Bob 
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Hi Bob:
No stamps depicting the Mars, but I do have this commercial cover commemorating its first flight from my Aircraft on Covers collection.
Don
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Danny:
Isn't the flying boat on the stamp actually a Martin PBM Mariner?
Don
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@DannyS — That's interesting. Thanks. I didn't know there was a prototype of the MARS, and one with twin tail fins yet! Here's a link to a web page about the advantages of a single vertical stabilizer over a twin set.
I've always been interested in floatplanes and seaplanes. When I was in the U.S. Navy, my sister's former boyfriend, Kenny Lee, was a radar officer on a Navy Martin P5M Marlin. He invited me on a flight, which I jumped at. The plane flew a continuous pattern, north then south then north then south just off the California coast, searching for an "enemy" submarine. We never found the submarine. Once I was innocently looking a radar screen when Kenny noticed me, covered the screen with his body, and told me that it was a top secret device that I wasn't supposed to see. But I'd already seen it, and been amazed at the image, a near-photographic side-scanning radar view of a coastal city, probably L.A.
Ultimately, the trip got really boring. I went back to the tail gunner's position, which was vacant (and didn't include a machine gun). I sat down, and soon the drone of the engines and warm sunshine shining through the canopy put me sound asleep.
I assumed that our landing would be gentle, like slowly settling onto a feather pillow. Nope. Not gentle. I thought the bottom of the plane had been knocked off. Here's a photo of the plane.
I took the photo soon after we landed. Kenny Lee is the guy on the bicycle. He eventually became a rear admiral.
Almost four years later, after I was wounded in Vietnam, I was hospitalized at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. I had a galloping infection in my leg wound, and my doctor decided to isolate me from the other patients, in the sunroom at the end of the ward. That was tough duty! Sunshine, good medical care, decent food, my fiancé visiting me daily, and a perfect view of San Diego Harbor, with Martin Marlins often taking and landing.
Bob
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@Don My quick retreat to Wikipedia, the font of all human knowledge , shows the Congo stamp was the prototype of the Mars rather than the twin engine Mariner.
@Bob I have to admit my knowledge of seaplanes is very lightweight. The twin tail as opposed to the single tail of course gets me talking about my favourite subject, the Douglas DC-3. In 1935 the proposed 4-engine successor to the DC-3 was designed by committee of Douglas engineers and airline people. They were looking at the height of the vertical tail fin of a larger aircraft in regards to the height of their hanger doors and therefore opted for a triple tail. The plane was a bit of a disaster performance wise and the single prototype ended up in pre-war Japan. In the war it crashed and killed some senior Japanese military officers. This plane was later designated the DC-4E
The new design of the DC-4 with a single tail fin became an important aircraft in the war effort where it was called the C-54. It became a mainstay of the fledgling post-war airline industry and probably made the 1948-49 Berlin Airlift the success it was.
Interesting that the Lockheed Constellation also opted for the triple tail fin design and probably for the same reasons over concerns of the height of a single fin.
I'm jealous of your seaplane flight. I'm thinking I should try to persuade the Thai military to let me on a flight of one of their DC-3s. I suspect they have less flying examples every year as they cannibalize aircraft to keep a few flying. They had the latest turboprop Basler conversions so it wouldn't sound the same though.
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"My quick retreat to Wikipedia, the font of all human knowledge Happy, shows the Congo stamp was the prototype of the Mars rather than the twin engine Mariner.
"
Danny:
You are absolutely correct. I was hasty in my post.
Don (FF)
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@Everyone!: That Congo stamp fooled me, too, until I also went to Wikipedia.
I'm familiar with the triple-tail-fin DC-4, and had a great Lockheed Constellation experience when the U.S. Navy sent me to Japan. See Low & Slow in a “Connie” — Flying to Japan in 1963. Here's a photo from that flight, which I took at Wake Island:
We had flown all night from Hickham Field in Hawaii. Total flight time from Travis Air Force Base near San Francisco to Tachikawa AFB near Tokyo was 26 hours.
@Don: Nice cachet! But I wonder how that flight went, since the Mars doesn't have any tail fins or rudders!
@Everyone: This morning we awoke to this news: Vancouver police investigating attempted seaplane theft that left several aircraft damaged
Here's a photo from the story:
I expect that level of damage could easily result in repairs of at least $100,000. A used Turbo Otter (the only kind available) is currently valued at US$6.5 million, according to Wikipedia.
Bob
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06:16:04pm
Ouch!
"I expect that level of damage could easily result in repairs of at least $100,000."
A lot more than that, I think. That's a total wing spar replacement!
Roy
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I live just a few blocks from Vancouver's seaplane base at Coal Harbour, located within a stone's throw of Vancouver Centre. It's a very busy place, with dozens of flights arriving and taking off every day for destinations on Vancouver Island or the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver. Two regional airlines operate from there, Harbour Air and West Coast Air. They fly three types of De Havilland Canada aircraft — Twin Otters, Turbo Otters, and venerable Beavers, which were produced for 20 years, from 1947 through 1967.
I was inspired to post these comments because of this great postcard I bought last weekend; I wish I had taken the photo:
This is one of my photos, showing a West Coast Airlines Twin Otter moments before landing at Coal Harbour:
Bob
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re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
Very interesting photos Bob.
For plane enthusiasts, this would be great.
Bujutsu
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re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
Aviation-Wise, Vancouver (no doubt like other large North American and European cities) is a busy place. On days with good weather, there seems to be scarcely a minute without a floatplane taking off or landing in Coal Harbour, or a helicopter flying over (there's a commercial helicopter company that operates from Coal Harbour), or an airliner landing at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) or taking off. I always enjoy looking up to see a huge airliner (often large Airbuses or Boeing Dreamliners) almost "floating" high over Vancouver as they approach the landing pattern. When there's a strong westerly wind blowing, the flightpath for the floatplanes taking off from Coal Harbour takes them almost directly over our apartment.
On occasion, a rare airplane makes a visit. One of those, several years ago, was one of the two Martin Mars seaplanes, built originally during the Second World War to ferry troops and war matériel to combat theatres. Following the war, they repurposed as water bombers. They were based at an airport near Terrace, BC. Not long after we retired to Vancouver, one of them was flown to Vancouver to demonstrate its water bomring capabilities. Here are some photos I took:
I'm not aware that any stamps picturing the Mars have been issued. If you know of any, please let me know!
Bob
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re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
A quick Google and here you go Bob
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re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
Hi Bob:
No stamps depicting the Mars, but I do have this commercial cover commemorating its first flight from my Aircraft on Covers collection.
Don
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re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
Danny:
Isn't the flying boat on the stamp actually a Martin PBM Mariner?
Don
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re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
@DannyS — That's interesting. Thanks. I didn't know there was a prototype of the MARS, and one with twin tail fins yet! Here's a link to a web page about the advantages of a single vertical stabilizer over a twin set.
I've always been interested in floatplanes and seaplanes. When I was in the U.S. Navy, my sister's former boyfriend, Kenny Lee, was a radar officer on a Navy Martin P5M Marlin. He invited me on a flight, which I jumped at. The plane flew a continuous pattern, north then south then north then south just off the California coast, searching for an "enemy" submarine. We never found the submarine. Once I was innocently looking a radar screen when Kenny noticed me, covered the screen with his body, and told me that it was a top secret device that I wasn't supposed to see. But I'd already seen it, and been amazed at the image, a near-photographic side-scanning radar view of a coastal city, probably L.A.
Ultimately, the trip got really boring. I went back to the tail gunner's position, which was vacant (and didn't include a machine gun). I sat down, and soon the drone of the engines and warm sunshine shining through the canopy put me sound asleep.
I assumed that our landing would be gentle, like slowly settling onto a feather pillow. Nope. Not gentle. I thought the bottom of the plane had been knocked off. Here's a photo of the plane.
I took the photo soon after we landed. Kenny Lee is the guy on the bicycle. He eventually became a rear admiral.
Almost four years later, after I was wounded in Vietnam, I was hospitalized at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. I had a galloping infection in my leg wound, and my doctor decided to isolate me from the other patients, in the sunroom at the end of the ward. That was tough duty! Sunshine, good medical care, decent food, my fiancé visiting me daily, and a perfect view of San Diego Harbor, with Martin Marlins often taking and landing.
Bob
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re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
@Don My quick retreat to Wikipedia, the font of all human knowledge , shows the Congo stamp was the prototype of the Mars rather than the twin engine Mariner.
@Bob I have to admit my knowledge of seaplanes is very lightweight. The twin tail as opposed to the single tail of course gets me talking about my favourite subject, the Douglas DC-3. In 1935 the proposed 4-engine successor to the DC-3 was designed by committee of Douglas engineers and airline people. They were looking at the height of the vertical tail fin of a larger aircraft in regards to the height of their hanger doors and therefore opted for a triple tail. The plane was a bit of a disaster performance wise and the single prototype ended up in pre-war Japan. In the war it crashed and killed some senior Japanese military officers. This plane was later designated the DC-4E
The new design of the DC-4 with a single tail fin became an important aircraft in the war effort where it was called the C-54. It became a mainstay of the fledgling post-war airline industry and probably made the 1948-49 Berlin Airlift the success it was.
Interesting that the Lockheed Constellation also opted for the triple tail fin design and probably for the same reasons over concerns of the height of a single fin.
I'm jealous of your seaplane flight. I'm thinking I should try to persuade the Thai military to let me on a flight of one of their DC-3s. I suspect they have less flying examples every year as they cannibalize aircraft to keep a few flying. They had the latest turboprop Basler conversions so it wouldn't sound the same though.
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re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
"My quick retreat to Wikipedia, the font of all human knowledge Happy, shows the Congo stamp was the prototype of the Mars rather than the twin engine Mariner.
"
Danny:
You are absolutely correct. I was hasty in my post.
Don (FF)
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re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
@Everyone!: That Congo stamp fooled me, too, until I also went to Wikipedia.
I'm familiar with the triple-tail-fin DC-4, and had a great Lockheed Constellation experience when the U.S. Navy sent me to Japan. See Low & Slow in a “Connie” — Flying to Japan in 1963. Here's a photo from that flight, which I took at Wake Island:
We had flown all night from Hickham Field in Hawaii. Total flight time from Travis Air Force Base near San Francisco to Tachikawa AFB near Tokyo was 26 hours.
@Don: Nice cachet! But I wonder how that flight went, since the Mars doesn't have any tail fins or rudders!
@Everyone: This morning we awoke to this news: Vancouver police investigating attempted seaplane theft that left several aircraft damaged
Here's a photo from the story:
I expect that level of damage could easily result in repairs of at least $100,000. A used Turbo Otter (the only kind available) is currently valued at US$6.5 million, according to Wikipedia.
Bob
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21 Feb 2020
06:16:04pm
re: Vancouver's Coal Harbour seaplane base
Ouch!
"I expect that level of damage could easily result in repairs of at least $100,000."
A lot more than that, I think. That's a total wing spar replacement!
Roy
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