|
- 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!
|
| Something
a bit different on Club Scene this time - two glimpses of club life in
action |
 |
LOCAL CLUB PRESENTS SILVERWARE
AT
AGM
|
 |
TEST VALLEY MODEL FLYING CLUB held its
Annual General Meeting earlier this month in the "Queen's Head"
in the village of Ludgershall, Wiltshire, UK, being the closest watering
hole to their most used flying field. The
Club has been flying in its present form for around 23 years and has a
membership varying between 30 and 40. The AGM had a best-ever turn out
with something like 80% of the members attending - "as good as anyone
could expect short of conscription", said Chairman Gordon Cook! An
element of particular interest and light-heartedness at the meeting was
the annual presentation of the 'silverware' - two trophies for which there
were, almost certainly, a good number of candidates throughout the year, although
for very different reasons. Gordon Cook's citations accompanying the
presentation of the trophies brought a smile to the faces of all present,
and may well do the same for you as you catch the flavour of this friendly
local club.
| PETE
IVORY MEMORIAL TROPHY
Pete Ivory was a
former member of the club who passed away several years ago. Any of
the long-time members can testify to the enjoyment we shared with
him, often at his expense.
In his memory, this
trophy was designed and is now awarded annually in recognition of
'personal enthusiasm to aero-modelling'.
This year's winner has
been selected by the Committee as best fulfilling this goal.
Back in the spring, a
newcomer appeared on the field complete with one of Neville's
bargains. [Neville is the owner of the local model shop.] The fact
that the wing was fitted with the trailing edge forward confirmed
his status!
However, with a little
guidance he was soon on the right track and took to learning very
easily. In part this was due to rivalry with his son, also a new
member - a fellow speaking a new version of the Queen's English that
had us rolling around!
 Once
or twice along the way during the year, he took a knock-back as
things went wrong - but he quickly recovered so that today he is
flying confidently and - I hope
- only waiting for the weather to
allow the 'A' certificate test to be taken.
This personal
enthusiasm is recognised today in awarding the Pete Ivory Memorial
Trophy to Chris Haynes. |
|
FORK-UP TROPHY
Whilst we strive to
be as safe a group as possible, Murphy inevitably intervenes from
time to time and disasters happen. In recognition of the black
humour of even the worst situation, the 'Fork-Up Trophy' was
contrived just a few years ago by a former club secretary. I'm
still not sure whether anybody actually wants to win this award,
but we give it nevertheless.
This award is given
at the discretion of the Chairman, and those of you that have
followed my misfortunes this year will realise why I cannot award
it to myself. [Gordon did have an 'incident' that some consider could well have
earned him this trophy but for his privileged position!]
The use of the buddy
box system has probably revolutionised the training process,
greatly reducing or even eliminating all the risk. Not quite so,
unfortunately, because somebody still has to take charge!
One evening in the
summer, a member was practicing and progressing well under
guidance. Trouble was, against the setting sun and over the trees,
the pair got confused and the model disappeared behind the tree
line never to be seen again.
 I
thought long and hard how to award the trophy. To one, or other,
or both? Finally I have decided and, I hope to Pete Nichol's
relief, to endorse the fact that the 'buck stops with the boss'.
Accordingly, whilst
thanking him for his support last year, I am awarding the 'Fork-Up
Trophy' exclusively to Neil Scratchley as a reminder to
stay alert in 2001.
|
Actually, the optimist's trophy is made of mahogany,
whilst the pessimist's is e.n.p. (electro-nickel plate) on to steel - no
silver to be found anywhere!
|
|
ModelFlight
contributors TORE LOODIN and JOHAN BJURLING from Stockholm, Sweden, had
a pleasant evening recently when they joined with other regional clubs
for an evening's indoor flying. Tore and Johan belong to Stockholms
Radioflygklubb and Tore sent me news of the event.
|
|
On
Sunday January 7th from 6 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. we had an indoor
gathering at Stavnässchool athletic hall, south of Stockholm. Our
regional model union, Stockholms Läns Modellflygförbund, hires this hall for us once a month. I went there by bus, carrying two
indoor electric free-flying models - a Puffin and the little Cub sold by
Herr. The models are trimmed so they curve just within the walls of the
hall.
Also flying were six micro
helicopters and six slow-flyers, but best of all were the rubber-driven
models, some of them flown by eight-year-old boys.
There were more r/c flyers than
free-flyers, indicating just how much this new branch of model flying
has taken on. The free-flighters were actually most interesting to look
at as the plurality of models is greater than the r/c versions, probably
arising from the fact that free-flighters scratch-build their models and
are not stuck to the availability of kits and ARFs.
The picture of my Cub J3 has the wing
struts omitted as always when flying, although I didn't actually get to
fly it due to no current in the charging battery, but it was nice to
chat and look at the others!
|
|
Click the thumbnails for a larger view - these delightful little models
are well worth a look!
|
 |
E-mail
me now with details of your club or send me the website URL and let's visit
your club on ModelFlight. |
|
