http://www.timescolonist.com/local-n...ave-bc-9931008

Coulson Aviation donated its last Mars flying boat to the Pima Air Museum. After a decade-plus out of firefighting service, the ship is being made ferry-worhy for the trip from Vancouver Island to Tucson. I recall one of these beasts flying over our house in British Columbia during fire supression ops about 15 years ago. Nothing quite like the sound of four Wright Cyclones not eaxactly in sync passing overhead at something like 200 feet. The sister ship took a much shorter last flight in August, to it's new home at the BC Aviation Museum at CYYJ. It's a good little museum as it is - this monstrosity will really put it on the map. Worth a look if you are ever near Victoria. The museum is justt down the block from Viking Air, where you can find a brand-new DHC-6 Twin Otter, or a reman Turbo Beaver. They also own the Dash 8 program, since Bombardier bailed.

For the uninitiated, the Mars is a flying boat, not an amphib. I assume the trip from Port Alberni to Tucson can be accomplished non-stop, as Google states that in USN service they had a 4000+ mile range. If fuel is needed and there is no seaplane base, it requires a dock or a beach with fuel truck access. Envronmentalists love it when a seaplane drops into Lake Tahoe for fuel!

The arrival point in Tuscon is being kept covert. There's worries about too many gawkers in order to land safely. Whatever the case, there's not much water near the Pima facility, so there's going to be a fairly long ground movement in any event.