Since Clive has already written about some changes in technology in the areas of flight simulation and indoor radio control, it seems only fitting that I should be telling you about technology changes affecting the production of this newsletter. Firstly, I am now the proud owner of a new flat screen iMac. This makes laying out the newsletter much easier since double page spreads fit easily on the screen. The second change is in the printing. The club's Laser printer is still working well but it has had a hard life printing out over 100 newsletter each time, and won't go on forever. Meanwhile, the cost and quality of the services offered by the local printshops has improved and so this issue has been printed, bound and collated for us by PrestoPrint. This was done from a hard copy master, but hopefully we will be able to move to an electronic master in due course.
This is a good moment to express my appreciation to those of you who have agreed to forego the printed newsletter and instead use the full colour version on the club's website. Not only does this save the club the printing and postage costs but it also has saved considerable wear and tear on my fingers in collating, folding and stapling, not to mention the Chairman's tongue, licking all those stamps! The website continues to develop and it has been suggested that we include an online For Sale section. I hope to start work on this once this newsletter has gone to press.
A glance at the Contents list shows that once again I have been well supported with a wide variety of contributors to this issue of the Newsletter. So much so that everything this time is sourced from club members, squeezing out the usual snippets gleaned from the internet. I am extremely grateful to all contributors but, rather than name them all again here, I will instead use the remaining couple of inches to draw your attention to a few things that, for space reasons, do not figure as prominently as they might, and could influence your flying plans for the coming months:
From April, our Friday evening flying gets underway from 6pm. Gliders at Stanpit, Electric at Kings Park.
In order to accommodate the increased demand for instruction
on Electric models, we have extended the instruction arrangements:
Flying and Training Contacts
Slope: Brian Brockway 516465 and Jim Ruffell
471670
Power: Steve Morris 840758 and Keith Dalton 392067
Electric (including instruction at Stanpit): Derek Longman
475249
Mid-week instruction Fawcetts field: Trevor Hewson 01425
619226
Friday evening instruction Kings Park: Clive Spencer 428289
Saturday morning instruction Kings Park: Neil Longman 477441
When making arrangements with instructors, please remember
that all instruction is undertaken on a voluntary basis
Please also see Main Website for details of Extra Oakmead indoor flying sessions, and other events organised by Local Clubs
Oh yes, and of course, subscriptions fall due at the end of the month.