BuiltWithNOF

 

Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
Sloping Off - our newsletter

editorial

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All these comments and reports were made at the AGM in December 2014

Longham Reservoir

We have had a very successful season at Longham, with 20 maiden flights (either brand new models or first flights off water) in the 12 months since the last AGM and flying of some sort every month of the year.  Incidentally, there have 70 maidens at the Reservoir since we started flying there in January 2012.

There is a Longham thread on RC Groups (available through a link on the Club website) and it would be good to see more contributions to it than from the two or three currently subscribing – it is free, after all.

The staff at Longham continue to be very supportive of our hobby. At our request they have opened up a second flying location on the favoured side of the water, three hundred metres further on from the one nearest the car park. It has much better sight lines and is well clear of Reservoir 1, making it easier to fly big circuits, and keeping us clear of the RC yacht sailors.

A retrieval boat has been sourced by the staff but will not be available for us until a secure location has been built for it.

Longham Permits

Having had three years of successful water flying, I would like to simplify the arrangements for Longham membership. I’ll be asking the club committee and Sembcorp to consider the idea of using the club membership card as proof of entitlement to fly at Longham, avoiding the need to print and distribute separate Longham permits. This would allow all members of the Club to fly at Longham as part of their membership.

This would eliminate the double accounting system we have at present, and since any Club member may at the moment apply to fly at Longham, would not change the qualifications or caveats imposed on us by Sembcorp. I don’t think it would add to the load on the membership secretary.

Sloping Off

I’d like to thank all contributors to Sloping Off, in particular Mr Leonard B Wise. The antics of his family, friends and those within his erratic orbit never fail to amuse me. His colleague Brian Wiseman has thankfully set aside his retirement to the world of model trains and continued to fly at Beaulieu with the varying degrees of success common to most of us, and his reports are always interesting and thought-provoking

Some issues have been better supported than others and it would be good for the Club to see more from our sloping friends than the odd picture…how about some stories to go with them? Articles, photos, copy of any sort is always welcome, but please make it clear that you want it to be published.

I am happy to continue editing the newsletter, but if anyone wants to take over, please form an orderly queue.

The Website

The website continues to expand as more information is passed to me. News of new flying sites is always welcome. One recent example is Knowle Hill, which was added as a result of an email which included helpful comment on the site and a grid reference to locate it on an elderly OS map. I look forward to feedback, whether pointing out errors or offering advice or even actual input.

Suggestions for ways of improving the site are welcome, but I don’t want to get involved with a forum: if anyone has plans to get one going, please put it in place yourself!

I’m also happy to continue as webmaster until someone else decides they have more to offer.

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