Christchurch and District Model Flying Club

Chairman’s Musings

So the club is now in its 41^st year, what’s even more amazing is the fact we are still using Stanpit Rec. Christchurch Borough Council are quite supportive with our continuing use of this facility, long may it be for our exclusive use (which it is).

They (the council) now require all clubs that are registered with them to be affiliated to the National Body of the relevant hobby or sport. For us that’s the British Model Flying Association. When I had a meeting at the council offices prior to Christmas this was a specific requirement. They were pleased that we had already gone down this route for January 2008.

We still have a few problems to be resolved with the BMFA, none of which affect our insurance. Members may continue to fly as in previous years but we still insist that a proficient flyer accompany any novice until they are ready to take the relevant club test. 

Safety is by far our reason for the above, without having too many restrictive rules.

Your committee has met on three occasions between January and the end of February. Affiliation has taken much time and effort to achieve, plus we have been arranging various activities for club meetings and a club day out slope soaring. All these events are/will be on the website or if last minute discussed at the monthly club meetings.

Of note; Stuart Fell will be giving us a short magic show at our April meeting. Stuart is a club member AND a member of the Magic Circle. He was a Jester and Magician, Stunt Man and an Extra on many Doctor Who TV programmes.

At the May meeting we’ll be discussing and arranging the club day out slope soaring, it’ll be a slope somewhere in Dorset. This will be a week day in May or June.

Our June club meeting is being given over to a public Open Evening at The Walkford. We’ll be advertising this before the event. This is for anyone interesting in models and how they are operated.  It’s not a recruitment drive as we already have around 64 members although we welcome all new comers.    Start 7.30pm

We are holding the Rose Bowl thermal soaring competition on Sunday 27^th July at the WSA Chalbury site.

Finally, we are holding weekly electric flying evenings at Stanpit officially starting in May although no doubt a few will be there in April, too! Not a competition but a general weekly fly-in. If a couple of members wish to have a challenge between themselves then all the better.

Friday’s will see the return of the Friday Night Thermal glider comp. This starts the first Friday in May, practice Friday evenings in April. Both the above to start from 6 pm onwards.

PLEASE BRING A PEG WITH YOUR NAME AND FREQUNCY NUMBER ON IT.

We are introducing a PEG ON frequency board system as recommended by the BMFA. If using the  2.4 frequency please bring a peg painted black, again with your name on it.

Terry

This is how to do your Peg - except that we all know whose peg it is, and will have guessed that he flies on Channel 66!

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