Hope this newsletter finds you fit and well.
Well its definitely getting lighter in the mornings and staying lighting in the evenings which means spring is not far away and we can dream of some nice flying in warmer weather, I have to admit the older I get the less appealing standing in a cold damp flying field becomes.
So this is the time to start giving all your models the once over, checking the state of your batteries and everything else on the model because lets face it we will of all put models away in late September with the intention of checking them at that point in time. Its a known fact that the model fairy’s visit our model storage facility during the winter and meddle with our models. I have seen it plenty of times (including myself) model comes out in spring and something happens. Post incident investigations always brings out the statement ‘It was alright last year when I put it away’. Give everything a check over.
BMFA A Certificate Achievements
A couple of weekends ago there was a window in the weather and Kevin Watson kindly came over to undertake a couple of BMFA A Certificates for us.
Congratulations go to Tim Fairhurst and Rick Kenny for successfully passing their BMFA A certificates.
I was not there but from all accounts they were supported by at least fifteen experts stood in the pits all exhausting copious amounts of hot air.
Indoor Meetings
A couple of interesting and enjoyable indoor meetings have taken place over the last month.
Please make every effort to attend these, a lot of effort goes into these meetings regarding bringing screens, computers, wood, glue etc;
February Meeting Flight Simulation Evening :
I have to say the quality and standard of the flight simulators available now is amazing. The graphics and options available are very impressive. The introduction of VR headsets has taken the experience to another level.
There is something quite funny and amusing watching somebody with a VR headset on engrossed in their own world unaware that everybody is laughing at their head movements.
Highlights of the evening for me were Dave ‘Tank’ Jenkinson trying to teach me how to fly a helicopter (expensive bill for the models) and Andy Moore completely lost flying around the Fylde coast looking for our flying field, all I can say is do not ever take up the opportunity of a full size flight with Andy
I have enclosed a few photographs of the evening
March Meeting Indoor Chuck Glider Competition :
This annual competition once again was an interesting evening.
How nobody lost an eye or got a piece of ballast embedded in their skull was beyond me.
The rules were simple construct your glider out of balsa/depron or whatever material you choose and have three chuck flights which are timed and the average duration calculated, the best duration wins the competition.
At this point I want to draw your attention to a couple of words chuck and glider, yes thats chuck and glider. Most people understood these words and built some nice gliders.
Our chairman decided that he would bring along a piece of tissue paper and a piece of plastic board, he then proceeded to demonstrate indoor slope soaring, yes you read that correctly indoor slope soaring, check it out on youtube. Impressive as it was he was immediately chucked out (sorry about that) of the competition for not just bending the rules but bending them double and twisting them !!!. In the interest of clarity it was Paul Cushwoth and I (Judge and timekeeper) who chucked him out.
It was a good night with some very nice chuck gliders constructed. One of particular interest was Tim Fairhurst’s depron glider that a recorded a decent time by flying backwards, Wright brothers eat your heart out.
The out right winner was Anthony Ollerton with an average time of 3.56 seconds, well done Anthony
Trainers
Below is the list of current trainers for the club. Get to know these people if you are learning to fly. Ask them for their phone numbers so that you can ring them to check availability. This save’s wasted journeys which can lead to frustration for trainees.
Jason Reid, Mark Conlin, John Higgins, Brian Holdsworth, Chris Vernon, Andy Harrison, Jim Sheldon, Paul Cusworth, Justin Goldstone and Kevin Watson.
The vast majority of these trainers are in employment so their availability is governed by their work. Please bear this in mind when arranging a flying session
Don’t forget the main training session during the summer is Wednesday nights, weather dependant of course
Hers’s hoping for better weather soon
Chris V