Well after a few days of promising flying weather it has descended into a pattern of unsettled weather again with showers and the constant breeze, no lets be honest wind !!! blowing all the time.
Its July now and according to the lovely Carol Kirkwood there is no sign over the next few weeks of any change to the current weather, disappointing to say the least.
I don’t know if you saw the photos of Weston park on the Sunday when people were trying to leave the site it was like the Somme.
I was speaking to Jake/Jason after their return and they decided to leave early on the Sunday and had their escape route planned in advance.
They also said the Saturday night show had every type of weather thrown at them but never the less still a good event.
The weather is changing for sure, I was watching the news this morning and the current weather in the West Indies was shown, terrible destruction for this time of the year, wind speeds of 160mph recorded and you think we have it bad
Flying Field
The field has recovered exceptionally well after the dreadful winter we have had, the cutting contractor has done a great job in getting it looking really well.
I think the big hump has shrunk a bit as it has dried out as well.
The car park grassed areas have been cut and again the car park is looking great.
One thing I have noticed is the mobile plane starting benches appear to have attracted an owl. When I was down at weekend I noticed the presence of owl pellets on the bench along with other owl stuff !!!
I even got a stick and poked into the pellets to look at the bones and other bits of animals the owl had digested.
The moral of this ramble is be careful where you put your model and accessories if using the start up benches, you have been warned.
Just a reminder if you are the last person to leave the field please lock the field gate and the gate at the top of the track.
Flying Field Activities
Unfortunately the BMFA North West scale competition which our field was being used for had to be cancelled due to bad weather, I lead to believe it is going to be rescheduled for later in the year.
The club is hosting a ‘Fly-in’ on the 21st July, hopefully the weather will play ball for us. Please try and attend, bring any type of model you want to fly, its not a formal event, you are not being judged. I have been informed that there will be a BBQ going on the day so fingers cross it should be good.
In the few days we have been able to fly there has been a good selection of models out and about.
I have to apologise that I had taken some photos but for some reason I cannot find them on my phone and yes before anybody asks I did have my phone turned on !!! I think they are in this mythical cloud that phone says it ‘syncs’ with every so often.
It was nice to see Mark Conlin bring John Higgins Fournier out for its first flight since Mark acquired the model. It flew beautifully as you would expect and Mark did it justice in the way he flew it.
I flew John Prothero’s electric twin. I really like the model with its retracts and the sound of the two motors in the air. It does not do anything special but its not a model that is made for chucking around the sky.
Talking of chucking a model around the sky Jake recently bought out his Extreme Flight 30cc Edge 540 75”. What a fantastic plane it is and Jake put it through its paces. At one point Jakes mum had her head in her hands as he touched the rudder on the field whilst hovering.
I was thinking to myself I hope that engine does decide to have a splutter and a cough.
Anthony’s daughter has been building a very nice looking plane which looks like it has been constructed from cardboard and brown paper, what a nice little flyer it is. I did not catch if it was built from a plan or scratch built.
There appears to have been an outbreak of Hobbyking EF racers at the field. They fly really well and are designed around a 3s lipo. Of course the usual culprits have tried putting in 4s and even 6s lipos in them. I reckon they don’t fly much faster just make more of a strangled cat noise.
I noticed Richard Cuthbert flying his EEK the other week. After much coaching he did eventually open the throttle to about half but closed it down pretty briskly.
Trainers/Trainees
The list of club trainers has been refreshed and their names are below.
If you are a trainee please bear in mind the vast majority of these people work during the day so if you turn up at the field on a Thursday morning for example please don’t get annoyed that there are no trainers there.
A couple of the trainers are of an age where work does not get in the way and if contacted may be able to accommodate mid week sessions.
As a trainee get to know these trainers if needed ask for their phone numbers or use the Clubs messenger group to make contact with them.
Don’t rely on the same trainer all the time, all the trainers will offer the same amount of training and to the same standard/goal.
Trainers :
Chris Vernon, Jason Reid, Jake Reid, Mark Conlin, Brian Holdsworth, Andy Harrison, Anthony Ollerton, Dave Hindley, Kev Watson
Many years ago I did an article for new starters which proved useful so I have refreshed it ,condensed it, it is enclosed below.
So flying model aircraft is a great hobby and compared to what it used to be is more easily achieved due to the introduction of foam aircraft and ARTF (Almost Ready to Fly) loathe them or love them they have transformed the hobby, when I learnt to fly you had to build aircraft which many people have said that was half the fun or battle !!!. Couple this with cheaper and more reliable electronics makes getting into the hobby a lot easier.
Before I start rambling on about the training that is offered our club I think it is important to remember it is a hobby and therefore needs to be enjoyed, thats what hobbies are.
Whats the point of the training ??
The training is to get you to a standard that is safe for yourself and other club members. As the club is affiliated to BMFA we use their training/achievement schemes.
If you want to fly unsupervised you are required to achieve the BMFA ‘A’ certificate. This is in the club rules.
How long will it take to get my ‘A’ ??
The answer is dependant on your ability to grasp the basics, everybody is different, everybody learns at different paces. Many years ago I taught a pilot from BAE systems Warton and he could not get it for months and months he would say to me ‘flying a full size plane is so much easier than this’. On the other hand somebody who has spent hours and hours on an RC simulator can pick it up very quickly.
What type of plane will I need ??
Generally a trainer aircraft is of a high wing configuration, the choice is vast, ARTF, foam, electric powered, IC powered. The club has a trainer has a couple of training aircraft you can try and have a few flights with. Speak to any of the instructors to discuss options.
What happens after I have achieved my ‘A ‘ certificate ??
Well the answer to that is what your own goal is, there is the ‘B’ certificate which is a more advanced achievement but is the nest stop if you want further your flying skills.
The important thing to remember is that just because you get the ‘A’ certificate you can still ask for extra help in honing your flying skills
When are training sessions ??
The main training session is a Wednesday evening and Sunday morning weather permitting. Like previously mentioned some instructors are available during the day if they have no prior engagements.
Speaking from experience when I learnt to fly there will be times when you go home from flying and think that you were awful during that session, it happens and still happens to club members today after many years.
Its a great hobby and the club is full of people willing to help other members.
Regards Chris V