November 2013
Queensland Sporting Hovercraft Club
A branch of the AUSTRALIAN HOVERCRAFT FEDERATION Inc (Vic)
Dear Air Cushion Vehicle enthusiast,
The Queensland branch of The Australian Hovercraft Federation held a planning meeting on Tuesday,
19th November 2013, in the Staff Room of the RC primary school, 350 Mortimer Road, Acacia Ridge.
This meeting was attended by:-
| President:- | Peter Venn |
| Vice President:- | Angus Kerr |
| Treasurer:- | Phillip Audsley |
| Secretary:- | Steven Odgaard |
Other members attending were Bill Toppin, Arthur Stead and Dale Baxter.
Visitors for the evening were Rita Chaffey and Kerri Audsley.
Cruise report.
No club cruise held during November.
Club News:-
News from Victoria:-
News from Peter Ledwoch in Northern Victoria - Monday 11th November 2013.
We enjoy your regular correspondence from the QSHC. We have many pleasant memories of our
rather too short association with the club. We are members of the Victorian club, but as we live near
Mount Beauty we have had no direct contact with them to date. We do however follow their activities
via their newsletter.
As you know we bought a Flying-Fish Marlin 2 about 2 years ago, almost brand new, from Brett Douglas in Rockhampton. We regularly use it, so far only on rivers. Mainly the Murray and other rivers near Lake Hume. It has not yet been in salt water! It has been very reliable and easy to maintain, especially with the Vanguard Briggs and Stratton 4 stroke engine. Ann has also learnt to fly it and regularly flies it by herself. I think she gets more excited than I do.
We still work away, all over Australia, but a little less so. Mostly fly-in/fly-outs. At present we are in
Darwin, recently in Bundaberg. Sometimes when we travel we take the hovercraft with us and this
allows us to explore new waterways (rivers). Recently we flew on the Murrumbidgee near Gundagai.
Then also on a small river off the Shoalhaven River near Nowra.
By the way what has happened to Bovver The Hover?
Pass our regards to fellow members.
Yours sincerely,
Peter & Ann
(Bovver the Hover is a Simple Cyclone currently owned by Margaret Goss of Mansfield.)
World's First Hovercraft Race Anniversary:-
Owen Ellis of Lake Illawarra NSW has started a post on the forum in favour of running a hovercraft
race at Canberra next year to mark 50 years since the first official hovercraft race on 14th March
1964. Although this at first seems like an impossible idea, there is feedback that if approached
carefully, a low key event may be allowed in the guise of an historical re-enactment.
A letter has been sent to the Royal Aeronautical Society - Canberra branch to seek an expression of interest. This is only the first of 3 letters to be written. A 2nd letter will soon be sent to the Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation.
At best, we will be granted permission to operate on Lake Burley Griffin or the Molonglo River and at worst we will have raised awareness of this significant date in ACV history. Thanks to Bruno Davids who has posted a newspaper article about the race from 1964 and also to Corporal John Murray (retired) for his collection of letters forms and newspaper articles dating from 1962.
News from Tasmania:-
News from Nic Armstrong in Tasmania Thursday, 31 October 2013
Hi Peter,
I called today to ask you about Hovercraft Insurance providers. Any company or contact details you
could pass on would be greatly appreciated. Through talking to you I was reminded of what I already
thought to be the case that hovercraft enthusiasts appear to be an inviting and close community. I
tried again to sign up to the AHF forum but with no luck. I will try again at a later date.
I noticed an ad on the forum for skirt material by the roll which I may follow up if it is still available.
As I mentioned on the phone I am from Tasmania and recently purchased a second-hand Mariah 425
with approximately 30 hours on the clock running an RX1, 1000cc snowmobile engine.
Thanks for your time,
Nic Armstrong
Next club cruise:-
The next club cruise will be held on Sunday 1st December 2013 at Muriel St, Redland Bay.
Meet at 9:00 am at Peter Venn's place at 96 Muriel St, Redland Bay for a launch into the Redland Bay
Channel from the back terrace. There will be plenty of smooth water for a cruise to the islands with
high tide around 8:30 am and low tide at 3:30 pm.
This is also our Christmas break-up so bring along something for the barbecue and salad for hot weather with cool drinks. Almost every cruise at Muriel Street ends with a delicious morning tea or barbecue lunch and so to give a Christmas break up feel, there will be a well stocked hamper to raffle.
UBD Reference - Map 267 B9.
Contact for the event is Steven Odgaard on 0400 798 404.
Next Queensland branch meeting:
The next club meeting will be held on Tuesday 21st January 2014 at 7:30pm.
It will be held in the Staff Room at Our Lady of Fatima RC primary school, 350 Mortimer Road Acacia
Ridge. Use the staff car park.
Anyone with an interest in air cushion vehicles is welcome to attend.
We discuss technical topics and plan cruises.
Regards
Steven Odgaard
QSH secretary