• Tell us all about your model flying club. E-mail me with some idea of the sort of facilities you have, size of membership, flying rules, subscription rates, training facilities, types of model flown, social activities, special events, site availability, guest arrangements, frequency of meetings, location, or anything else you can think to mention. Pictures will also be most welcome, and if you want to send me pictures by conventional post, my address now appears on the home page. If your club has a website, let me know the address and I will pay you a virtual visit!

Palmerston North is a large town located at the central southern end of New Zealand's North Island. Palmerston North Aeroneers is the local model flying club, founded in September 1946 as the Manawatu Model Aeroplane Club. The original secretary, Mr Russ Johnson, is still an active member of the club. The club is affiliated to the New Zealand Model Aircraft Association.

Palmerston North Aeroneers has around 70 members, flying mostly radio-controlled aircraft, with a small dedicated group of free-flight and control-line enthusiasts and there is also currently a strong interest in aerobatics and gliding. Competitions in various classes of flying are held throughout the year with a Scale Classics major public rally held every March. 

The club has a flying site about twenty minutes drive from Palmerston North city boundary, where they meet for flying every Sunday morning. There's a good emphasis on encouraging newcomers to the hobby and dual-control training is offered, with a glider and two powered aircraft available for training purposes. 

Palmerston North Aeroneers holds a monthly club meeting every 4th Thursday of the month. There is usually a guest speaker and members are encouraged to bring along their latest building project for a "Show and Tell" session - sounds great! The club hosts an occasional barbeque and there is an annual dinner and prize-giving. 

The Club's website reflects their interest in encouraging new folk into the hobby, with the pages on the site specially orientated to newcomers. There's a very nice feature to introduce the various types of model flying to those who might be keen to find out more.

Running down the left-hand side of the site is a large scroll-down panel featuring a strip of pictures of various types of model subjects - glider, scale, aerobatic, vintage, pylon racer, helicopter, control line, free flight and radio control sets - and a click on any picture brings up a nicely-designed page giving a brief explanation and introduction to each subject. On the control-line page I was able to confirm that U-control is the same as control-line flying - a query I raised on the last ModelFlight but which went unanswered - thanks PNA!

Additionally, there is a page explaining the club's training facilities and what dual-control training means, and another to show recent photos of club activity.

The site has a real friendly feel to it and would certainly encourage anyone thinking of taking up the hobby to accept the warm invitation to go along to Palmerston North Aeroneers field to "have a go". If I may presume to do so, I congratulate whoever has been so busy in designing and building a very good promotional site both for the club and the hobby in general!

There are a couple of pictures of PNA members' models on the photo gallery page.

The club website address is:

http://www.pncc.nz/clubs/aeroneers/pna.htm 

and the Club Secretary is Jonathan Hogg, e-mail jjhogg@xtra.co.nz