At your "post box" you wrote, "Here's hoping we may hear from some of Tore's model flying colleagues - you are most welcome, gentlemen!". Well, I'm one of his colleagues!

I'm 32 and have been flying R/C models since I was 11. There has been quite a few built over the years. Now I mainly fly smaller electric R/C models, often in the street in front of my home.

I live about 15 km outside the centre of Stockholm. I took some aerial photos from an electric-powered Taylor Cub a couple of years ago. I have moved a few blocks to a bigger house since then, but it looks about the same!

As Tore says, the weather has been horrible the last few weeks. Most flying has been indoors lately.

The Hobby exhibition was quite a success. There were a lot of visitors during the three days it was held. I flew a lot of different indoor R/C models there, from my home-made Slowflyer from foam, to the Ikarus Piccolo e-powered helicopter. I also flew a Delta Star and a Tiny.

johanbju@hem.passagen.se 

It's very nice to hear from you, Johan. You can see some of Johan's indoor models on the photo gallery page, and I will be visiting Johan's website on the next ModelFlight when there will be more of his aerial photography and some of that street flying!  

Just had a good exhibition of model airplanes in the South East of little old UK. Great attendance and great planes on show, including some of Matt Halton's. We have two local clubs that share the same field with a few world class flyers and a few duffers, but all have a lot of fun.

All the best for all flying nuts for Xmas and the New Year and let us all pray for better weather.

Joan@jgray47.freeseerve.co.uk 

Thanks for the Xmas greeting. Keep in touch!

Thanks for a great mag. Until the last page, I thought you were American!

gerrydcruc@ntlworld.com 

You're forgiven, Gerry! I'm just a good old "Hampshire Hog" from the south of England. Mind you, with all the Americans, Australians and Canadians in touch with me these days, perhaps I'm beginning to lose my identity!

Just thought I'd let you know that Steve has recently added some cool video clips to the gallery on our club website, http://www.rcflyers.nfld.net. If you have a dial-up modem it may take a few minutes to download each video but I think it is worth the wait.

We haven't been able to do any flying at all over the past month. The weather has been terrible. We had 22 days of continuous fog. It can get a bit depressing at times. I think I'm gonna start knitting. At least I can do that in the fog!

craig@roadrunner.nf.net 

Craig is President of St John's R/C Flyers, Newfoundland, which was featured on Club Scene on ModelFlight #14 and 17.

I've taken a look at the video clips page, and it really is good - congratulations to webmaster Steve Boulos! There are nine clips available at the moment. My dial-up modem took nearly six minutes to dowload the DC3 video, but once down-loaded you can save the clip to return to, of course.

I must say that I was most pleasantly surprised, as well as astonished, by the write-up you gave the CRRC website in your most recent news offering [ModelFlight #22] . . .

On behalf of all our club members, thanks for the 'club scene' write-up and my best regards to you for a happy and healthy holiday season.

pwyoung@ix.netcom.com 

Thanks, Peter, nice of you to write. I also had a similar letter from CRRC's webmaster, JOEL FONER, together with a promise to add a link to ModelFlight on the CRRC site which is now permanently on my links page.

Congratulations on your solo. Keep the hours coming and it gets easier. I recommend that you get an instructor who will take you to the next level - really being able to FLY that beast. Often we are taught how to get up and down, but not how to manage the beast in the air.

I have been flying for 8 years and it is only in the past year that I have started to lose the fear of crashing. I now look forward to developing my skills which lead to another skill that we aren't really taught - how to set up our models; trim and balance, both directions. I often experience problems trying to keep the model in the same plane when executing a manouevre. I always thought it was my flying; however, I now believe it is the model. I need to get someone to show me how to set the model up - what to look for - and how to fix it.

I still remember the best piece of advice I received. It sounds so simple - "keep the wings level" - however, in the heat of the event we often forget this. I learnt it the hard way when, on my first solo outing to the field, I dead-sticked on take-off. An experienced pilot who was nearby quietly said, "Get the wings level. Don't try anything fancy." After putting the model down gently in the bushes, I asked the basis of the advice and was told that keeping the wings level will minimise the potential damage. Most damage is caused to models when they are "wings down" and they cartwheel or the wing hits first. I've always remembered that advice and it has regularly proved useful during the occasional hard landing.

terry.pollock@au.pwcglobal.com 

Thanks for that, Terry. It sounds as if I'm fortunate, since Gordon is always pushing me to hold a good, steady and even height.  In fact, he likes to remind me that I'm flying the thing like a heli pilot when I start to switchback around the sky a bit!

There's more about Terry on the personal profiles page.

Thank you for your message which I received only today, as I have been on vacation in Europe for 15 days with my wife and grand-daughter who is 15 years old now. We left Colombia on 4th November and returned last Monday. We visited Madrid and Barcelona in Spain and Rome, Florence and Venezia in Italy.

Of course, my hobby has been a little forgotten, but in a few days I hope to renew the building of the Slowmowatt project, which is ready to be covered.

My Miss 2 [right] is flying very well and I have had three flights without accidents. I bought a model in Madrid which will be my next building project - it is an Aqua Star seaplane. 

I'm very sorry about the bad weather in England. I really think it must be hard to fly in very cool days like I felt in Spain. Here, the weather is nice all year - right now we have 20 - 30°C and it's very nice to go out to fly. Lamentably, I must work every day of the week and I can only go to my country home one week a month - a good time to fly.

. . . I will send you the first Slowmowatt photo I take . . .

ariascos@col1.telecom.com.co 

Nice to catch up with you, Alvaro, and thanks for the promise of that photo!

The review of our club site looks very good (site seeing page, ModelFlight #22), it certainly has driven a lot more people to the site. We have had 2,000 hits since moving from Demon - must be doing something right.

Paul (Carr) has sold his Cosworth - says he couldn't get his planes in. The attached picture is what he has got to replace it, plus a trailer which I haven't seen yet.

I think this must be clockwork - it certainly looks like a wind-up to me! - Reg.

I look forward to the next edition. Will be sending some more pics shortly as we have all been locked up in the building room, too wet to fly. We did get some gliding in today, though, at the Cat and Fiddle. It was very good, plenty of lift!

Will have to sort out a picture when we have our inter-club combat competition.

sideshow.bob@virgin.net 

Bob insists that it's no wind-up, but I'll need more evidence to be convinced! I need to see Paul with the car (with a proper number plate) and the trailer, all loaded up with Paul's models, plus a certificate of authenticity from Paul himself - not that I don't trust Bob, of course!

Talking about combat flying - have you seen the new AIRWars infra-red combat system from CSM? I'll put it up on the next ModelFlight 'cats corner' page.

My name is Mikel and I arrived in England a few months ago. I've already got two models, but I don't know if I need to pass an exam here in England. Could you help me?

And, as well, I would like to know some aero-modelling club near my area. I live in Lymm, Warrington.

maik.midnight@hotmail.com 

Hi, Mikel, nice to meet you! Firstly, you do not need to pass any exams before you can fly your models here in England. You are strongly advised to join a club, though, and if you are a competent flyer already there should be no problems, although at some clubs you may not be allowed to fly solo until you have passed the British Model Flying Association 'A' certificate. If you are still a beginner, then most clubs will not allow you to fly without a qualified instructor alongside you. Usually, help and instruction is given free and you may be able to learn on a buddy lead. Once you are considered reasonably competent, some clubs will allow you to fly solo before going on to get your 'A' certificate, but only when there are others present on the field.

As far as a local club is concerned, try e-mailing david.j.johnson@man.ac.uk for details of Warrington Model Club. Hoping to hear how you get on . . .

I believe I will be able to send some photos within the week . . . including the updated photos of the B-17G.

. . . It's been hard to get enough done on the model to justify taking pictures. Most of what has been done is largely detail stuff such as servo installation, navigation lights in the tail and such. Sooner or later it will get to a point where things take off again and it will show.

I don't remember saying, but I plan to finish this model after the plane that was christened by Edward G Robinson, the Hollywood movie star. In fact, it was named "Happy Bottom" after his wife Gladys.

. . . Best wishes . . .

DUBOLIN@aol.com 

Thanks for the update, Steven. I'd like to know more about the link between Gladys and that name - sounds a bit cheeky to me, but it's probably perfectly innocuous!

• Had a good bit of flying recently or has the weather let you down?
• Enjoyed visiting a show?
• Learned something new and feeling chuffed about it?
• Had a spectacular crash?
• Bought a new model?
• One of the kids started in the hobby?
• How's that new kit progressing?
• Got a question that someone might be able to answer?  

There must be lots you can write to ModelFlight about, so click on the post-box at the top of the page and get in touch! 

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