Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
 

EDITORIAL

The very recent news is that we now have a private flying field, for use 6 days a week, at a very reasonable cost.

The Chairman, his committee and the initiative of a new member have at succeded where most of us had shrugged our shoulders and reasoned that where on the south coast could we possibly find a suitable field?  Here’s what he said:

We have now use of a PRIVATE field near Lymington, at least as large as Stanpit but WITHOUT public and dogs. We need keys for entry and the toilet, and only C&DMFC members will have use of it. The owner then knows we are insured. We will impose a daily charge for flyers of £2, to be placed in an honesty box upon arrival. The field is available Monday to Saturday inclusive for electric powered models, including helicopters and gliders, and this is all at no cost to the club. The field holds a weekly car boot sale every Sunday.

The grass very short because of the cars each week. No houses close by, no trees to interfere with landings and it is surrounded by other fields. The main Lymington to Brockenhurst road (called Southampton Rd) runs along one side but we would be a safe distance from this. Far, far safer than Fawcett's Field. No turbulence on landing.

We have tried 4m span elec glider and 5 different fixed wing electric power models.

This is perhaps the most important step in the Club’s history, the declared aim of all the committees, all the chairmen and all of us for the last 40 years, and at last it has been achieved. Very many congratulations to everyone involved.

I know that there will be some concern that the centre of gravity of the Club will be shifting to the east and that the modellers from the Bournemouth part of “and District” will be handicapped by an extra 10 miles travelling. But only 10 years ago, Kings Park was the preferred flying site and Stanpit Village Hall the meeting place. Now we use Stanpit Rec, Fawcett’s Field and the Walkford in the evenings. The flying field is going to change the Club, there’s no doubt about that, but I forecast that when we look back in another 10 years, we will have doubled in size and standing in the commumity, both modelling and in a wider sense.

What happens to Stanpit is perhaps another concern. If we don’t fly there, will the Council remove our permit to fly? It might be necessary to keep some official Club presence there to act as insurance should the new field be sold for building or some other change of use.

But without a shadow of doubt, this is good news. The best news of all, in fact!

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