Burnham Hovercraft Home Page > Burnham Hovercraft News Archive
July 21, 2005
Auction winners enjoy their trip onboard Burnham’s hovercraft
Two Internet users who won a flight onboard Burnham’s hovercraft in an online auction have enjoyed a day-long trip to the town to meet the crews and see how the rescue service operates.
BARB, the organisation that runs the hovercraft, held the auction in May when a trip around Bridgwater Bay onboard the Spirit Of Lelaina was up for grabs.
There was plenty of interest and the reserve price of £50 was met within four hours of the auction.
More than 20 bids were made during the ten days of the auction and the flight eventually sold for £250.
The successful bidder, Graham Hobden of Weston-super-Mare, decided to make up the total amount given to BARB to £500 by holding a raffle and other fundraising activities.
Last Sunday, Emma Standlick and Maria Hobden met the crew, were given a VIP tour of the station and had a pre-flight briefing before climbing onboard the craft for their trip along the coastline.
They were taken along the shoreline to the town’s lighthouse and then flown around Bridgwater Bay and had a chance later in the day to see the annual Stert Island Swim up close.
The auction winners were then flown back to Burnham to help with refuelling, cleaning and preparing the craft for its next launch.
The pair enjoyed their day so much that Emma is considering becoming a crew member herself. Her verdict on the day: “It’s been terrific. We’ve had a great time and have really enjoyed it.”
RELATED LINKS:
Hovercraft ride up for auction
Burnham Hovercraft’s eBay section
Official Burnham Hovercraft Web site home page
