You can read more about Queenie VI here
http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/ozatwar/queenie.htm

I read a great bridge story recently, sometime in the 1930’s the mad barnstormer and former WWI pilot, Sqn Ldr Malcolm “Mac” MacGregor, apparently flew his aircraft under the bridge at Hamilton, NZ, pulled straight up into a loop and went under again as he came down!! So basically he looped around the bridge!!

Then there were a couple of bridges at Hamilton, not sure which one but I would imagine it would have been Victoria Bridge, as it was probably for a public display and regattas, etc are held near this bridge. Either way, all the bridges are the same height. Here’s a couple of period photos of Victoria Bridge, Hamilton.

Alternately it may have been the old Railway Bridge, seen below too.

Elliot, what has happened with this? Is your friend in NZ now or still coming here?

I only recently discovered that there is still a significant high ground wreck in NZ, near Nelson. It was a Hudson bomber that hit a hill, and I am told by someone who has been there and filmed it not too long ago that the remains are quite substantial. The place is quite innaccessable and on private land, but it is interesting that it is still around nowadays. I wonder, if helicoptered out, if there would be anything worth using for a restoration – apparently the tail and at least one wing plus engines are there.

and BTW the race starts when the 5 red lights go out, not before then

The warm up lap is counted as part of the race laps, and the 7th and 8th points have been awarded, so I am not sure your statement is correct there Don. My understanding has always been that the race begins at the start of the warm up lap. If this is incorrect, I am willing to conceed.

So, what was the pre-race interview between Martin Brundle and Bernie Eccleston all about adwwebber? Unfortunately due to the selfishness of the FIA bosses Eccleston and Mosley, foreign networks who buy the feed from the track with the Brundle/Allen commentary are not allowed to see the pre-race show. So we always hear about something interesting a driver said etc while they’re commentating but are not allowed to see it. This question was raised recently on the TVNZ coverage where viewers send in questions for presenter Bob McMurray (formerly a top engineer with McLaren) and he explained it wasn’t simply TVNZ not forking out the money for the show, but some daft rule by FIA.

I see now a group of fans in the USA has already filed a law suit against FIA for their ticket refund and travelling expenses. I think this could be an interesting battle in the courts, after all, they did see a “race”, and a unique one at that, but not what they paid for I suppose.

As for costs at the F1 I’ve heard that a lot of the races are highly expensive. My mate knew a chap who flew from the UK to Canada for the week and went to the Canadian GP, because it was cheaper than getting the ticket for Silverstone, which was simply km’s down the road from his house. I believe Monaco and Bahrain are not cheap either. So I don’t think that Indianapolis is unique in overcharging.

So, if the USA is dropped from the F1 circuit, which country do you think will be awarded the race? Probably Russia I think, they have already built a track I think as they had hoped to get in when Bahrain and China got their races. Plus I doubt Russia will have all the anti-smoking rules, etc that Europe has.