At rest on the top of the slipway at its Sproat Lake base on Vancouver Island. Bird dog spotter plane for the two Martin Mars flying boat fire bombers of Forest Industries Flying Tankers stationed on the lake. Constructed as a US Navy Grumman JRF-5, BuNo 84806. Became N62899 in 1952. Joined Forest Industries Flying Tankers as CF-VFU in 1967, changing to C-FVFU in 1979. Flew for European Coastal Airlines of Croatia from 2002 until 2006. Became C-FMXW in 2015, then N345GG in 2022.

Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT) acquired the Grumman G-21A Goose (ex-Bu84806 and N62899) in April 1967 to support its water bomber operations using a pair of four-engine Martin Mars flying boats. Goose C-FVFS served with FIFT until 2000 and with its successor Flying Tankers Inc. until it was sold to Klaus Dieter Martin in Munich, Germany and ferried across the Atlantic in Nov. 2001 for use by European Seaplane Service in Croatia but was damaged when the gear collapsed in 2002. Registered to Victoria Aircraft Maintenance at CYYJ in Oct 2015 as C-FMXW. Cancelled/Exported in Nov. 2021.

Bell 206B, C-GKMO, was acquired by Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT) based at Sproat Lake in Port Alberni, BC for aerial firefighting in June 1978. FIFT was owned by six of the largest timber companies in BC and operated two Martin JMR 3 Mars flying boats, CF-LYL (pictured) and CF-LYK, to protect valuable timber leases on the BC coast. The Mars only flew during the fire season but FIFT's helicopters operated year-round operated. In the 1980s, the FIFT fleet included Grumman G-21, C-FVFU, and three Bell 206L-1: C-GWFW, C-GWFH & C-GZFT. C-GKMO was cancelled in June 1994 after an accident.

Forest Industries Flying Tankers was the first operator for this LongRanger (1979 - 2001). Later with forest company Weyerhaeuser (2001 - 04) and Discovery Helicopters (2004 - 19) when the registration was cancelled on February 26, 2019. Ascent Helicopters registered a Bell 206L C-GWFW in March 2022, but it is a different and newer aircraft (cn 52276 ).

Philippine Mars gets some service during a day of firefighting out of its Sproat Lake base.

Ex-US Navy JRF-5 84806. To N62899 in 1948 then to CF-VFU in 1967, later C-FVFU. To Croatia in 2005.

Former Us Navy bu 84806, this Goose is pictured with Forest Industries Flying Tankers.. It was used for Bird Dog duties with their Martin Mars air tankers. Sold in 2001, the aircraft went to Croatia and was active with the Canadian registration until 2005. Last known stored in Croatia.

Preparation for a new paint job did not mean the Mars would stop work fighting fires. The aircraft has the FIFT logo on the tail and carries no registration, but the side drop doors reveal that this is C-FLYK Philippine Mars.