The penny dropped that yours truly the only of the currently active thermal competitors who had known Bill in RC Soaring, although Neil Murray then twigged he had known the same Bill Vos, work wise, when I forwarded this cutting:
Then over to Neil for some total co-incidence work history:
Holy S - it is a small world. I knew Bill Vos - he was an Architect too. That obituary was written by Derek Sherlock - he was my partner in the architectural practice Myles Pugh Sherlock Murray in Durban. Derek died in 2003 and I emigrated to Australia to practice there. Never had any idea the Bill Vos on the trophy was someone I knew. 😳
Bit shaken by all these revelations. 😳 Assume Bill was flying radio whilst I was still flying free flight. Never had any idea.
Bill’s loss was a shock to the architectural profession as well. He was very well liked. In addition to his private practice he was an outside tutor at the university - was one of my tutors when I was doing my degree. Instantly recognised his photo although it took a while to place him after all these years.
Bill was most active in Durban Model Aircraft Club thermal and slope soaring. The then soaring co-ordinator Tim Potter was distraught on becoming aware of Bill's passing and immediately implemented the Bill Vos Memorial Trophy, which remains in use to this day.
BVMT championship winners history
1988 M Summers
1989 T Potter
1990 D Greer
1991 M Summers
1992 M Summers
1993 D Greer
1994 M Summers
1995 D Greer
1996 D Greer
1997 D Greer
1998 D Greer
1999 D Greer
2000 D Greer
2001 D Greer
2002 A Sneedon
2003 D Greer
2004 W Butler
2005 D Greer
2006 W Butler
2007 J Coulson
2008 A Sneedon
2009 M Leusch
2010 M Leusch
2011 R Nelson
2012 -
2013 -
2014 D Bird
2015 D Bird
2016 A Sneedon
2017 A Sneedon
2018 A Sneedon
2019 A Sneedon
2020 A Sneedon
2021 A Sneedon
2022 N Murray
2023 D Greer
2024 D Greer
