My QSL card
The picture on the front of my QSL card was taken while departing for a DXpedition to Holmön island (EU-135), off the coast of Umea, Sweden. While preparing for the expedition, I was told that the only means of transportation to the island at the time I would be in Sweden, was a Hydrocopter. I could picture all sorts of weird vehicles in my head, like helicopters with floatation skids etc, but was quite surprised to see this nice vehicle sitting on the ice.
A Hydrocopter is a vehicle that was originally developed by the Swedish Navy for coast guard surveillance work. When the navy developed a bit more modern equipment such as helicopters, the Hydrocopter was sold to the local authorities of Holmön. They use it to bring food and supplies to the island in early spring and late autumn. The Hydrocopter is essentially a boat that sports skis. It proves its use in between seasons, when the ice is too thick for a boat to crush, but too thin to support a regular vehicle. Driven by a large propeller on the back, the Hydrocopter slides over the ice, occasionally crushing through it and sailing off. It also has a set of wheels to manoeuvre on land, although these are only used to drive it into the hangar every evening. The rig is steered using fins behind the propeller. One can imaging that it does not corner like it’s on rails…