Slopetrashuk

Yes mate. It was a great do and you lads will decide whats best for you. As long as you dont take any of the comments made as criticisms. They're just opinions of course. Would be nice to see some of your lads taking off the yellow vests for a bit and having a flight or two though. Some of your kids are getting quite good too. Who was the young lad with the foamie Acro Wot? He can grease that thing in that's for sure. Andy

Posted by Richard Harris on 30/06/2014 23:46:39: Calling Tim Angell, please check your PM Inbox please. Ooo. Richard wants a Hobbit!

Posted by john stones 1 on 30/06/2014 23:46:38: All types of models for me, helis included, Greenacres event leave them to set rules. Don't see anything strange about host club doing marshalling myself, seems common sense to me. John I agree John but i bet they would have swapped on Saturday afternoon. Boy was it busy!

I'm with Ian and strangely enough with BEB too. Well, first time for everything. Don't forget though lads that when we did try to fly with our own spotters, non pilots were asked to clear the pilots box. Fair enough, it was crowded. A bigger box would help a bit but conversely hamper communications too. A spotter per pilot can only work if the marshals decide we need to use spotters and not do it themselves on our behalf. Im curious (perhaps Chris, Reg or Andy can chirp in) is the marshall requirement a condition of your strange council arrangements? i.e. do you guys HAVE to be the ones to do it? Martin, apologies if you took it personally. The irony though eh! You cant get a flight because of these strange ever hovering models but when you do you mid air a 3D machine and don't realise it! Maybe its just my humour.... I didn't mention your name BTW.. you took it there. Andy

Ah! Now there you go Tony. You assume that some of the whispered landing calls could be heard, or that a marshall clearing a landing at one end of the box was heard by his mate clearing a take off at the other! Or that the gent calling a landing was doing so imminently andnot (as was often the case) just building up to it for another three circuits time! I know myself when flying the Decathlon that I stayed high for a gent who'd called landing and it was almost 5 minutes before he actually got round to it! The queue for taking off was getting very frustrated. By sunday this had all disappeared. With everybody coming from the same direction alllandings and take offs couldbe easily seen by all pilots and there were no near misses. Just one mid air by a Gent with a Curare who didn't even know he'd done it! And he took the other guy from behind! Wonder who that was..... Andy

Posted by Martin McIntosh on 30/06/2014 15:32:40: It would appear that most of you agree with my original gripe which was not 3D flying (Martin Bell style for instance) but the fact that several models were just hovering over the landing area for their entire flight. Not only this but it was difficult at times to get a flight when at least one of them was not doing it. Martin Mc. Martin, Your opinion of 3D models and 3D flight is jaded. This statement in nonsense. For a model to be hovering for its entire flight it would need to do so for 10-15 minutes. That just did not happen. Also It was easy to get a slot when they were not doing it. I never once flew during the day when somebody was flying 3D. There were perhaps four pilots there during the course of the weekend who demonstrated this type of flying. My son Daniel, Liam Swarbrick, Liam Clayton and the Gent With the Horizon Hobby shirt whose name escapes me. As by and large Dan and the two Liams flew mostly together, that would be one ten minute window. There were far more times during the days when you couldn't fly your models because there was a warbird slot, or a large model slot, or a jet slot or a mass build slot or some glider towing. I think you need to temper your gripe somewhat and remember that this fly in is for everyone. Andy Ellison

Good news that the club is open to suggestion Chris but I also wouldn't blame them if they decided to wash their hands of the whole thing listening to some of the anti aeromodelling gripes on here. There are clearly strong feelings in all directions. Aren't there enough people outside of aeromodelling trying to stop us from flying to make sure we don't have to do it to ourselves? These conversations have taken a very old and blinkered line. Very reminiscent of club politics and a bit of the green eyed monster in there too IMO. Careful or the event will be regulated into a no smiling allowed affair! My 15 yr old read through them and wondered what all the old farts were whining about. But then he harbors no desire to own a Sopwith Triplane or fly left circuits with the 'Yawn Patrol', as he calls it. Personally in order to take a load off the marshals I'd have each flier fly with a spotter that they provide. If they're attending on their own - Heck I'll do it. Me or Weasel! I just did a whole fly in yesterday with one Marshall on the line. Common sense prevailed. If you didn't want to fly when the 3D lads were up you sat back and watched. if you didn't want to fly when the slow scale stuff was up you sat back and watched. Strangely nobody wanted to fly when the heli's were up....... Six up at Geenacres was a lot for some people. For others it didn't matter. The problems of the Saturday were gone on the sunday with the simple nomination of a circuit of the day. No problem at all. If people want a slot on their own then great - let them ask for one but don't insist that other fliers have a slot on their own - that's not your business. Too many slots and you get a show. Turn it into a show and a good half of you won't be flying at all. Personally - I think the Marshall's should bring more models too. I'd do a stint on the line so you lot could fly, Cant promise i'd let any of the moderators up though..... Sorry Chris.... Andy Ellison Who''ll be back in August.

Just a note on the glider tugging. i took my tug because i was asked too and had plans to fly around nicely with the Minimoa and drag a few mates aloft. In the event, I always felt in the way with the glider tug and faffing about on the runway was becoming protracted. There were just too many pilots to slip these flights in unnoticed. As a consequence on Sunday I left the glider tug in the trailer and just joined in with everything else flying my Decathlon and Stolp Starlet. It was easy to pick a slot and wait your turn while the Decathlon ticked over slowly by the ready box indicating my intent. I would suggest that if it is so busy in the future, glider fliers opt out until the line is much quieter or there is a glider towing slot. I'm sure in August the field will be somewhat quieter and glider towing might be easier to accommodate but i don't think i'll be bothering with it at Greenacres again at the RCM&E do. This is not a moan it is out of consideration for other users. The runway is no place to be hanging around with so many models in the air. Just one other note. I did have a little giggle to myself when Ian was asking to fly Helena and the marshal's wanted him to wait until everybody had landed! What he meant was he wanted to fly with everyone who was already up! It was a sort of 'civilian' slot if you like. He asked the other pilots. Nobody minded and we all swapped circuits to his preferred take off direction. He did however decline the loop I called when we were all in formation. He's not that good a show pilot then after all! Andy Ellison

I had occasion to stop and talk to Tim at the first Greenacres do this year. I was so impressed with the way he displayed his models (for an older guy) that I felt I had to pay him a compliment. When I was asked this time by the editors to put somebody forwards for best visiting flier, my choice was an easy one. I voted for me! ahem....then Tim of course. Back next year as defending champ Tim. Andy Ellison.

Posted by Martin McIntosh on 25/06/2014 00:01:58: Fine, but not when it stops everyone else from `doing their thing` except in a solo slot. What if they were up first? Should they stop doing their thing so you can do your's?   Edited By Slopetrashuk on 25/06/2014 00:18:59

Well, i'm sure that the kids would say that they too were everyday fliers and were prevented from doing their thing by mass builds and solo slots for an average jet! Last year the best visiting pilot won for exactly that sort of flight. This year we had Liam prophanging in a solo slot while riding a unicycle. I think you might need to re-evaluate what an everyday flier is these days. I used to watch prettner flying pattern at sandown park and go back to my own patch to try and emulate him. Nowadays the kids are watching Daniel Holman, Somenzini and the EXFC champions, Red Bull air racers and vectored thrust jets. They go home and copy them. Dont know a kid on our patch who can hook up a thermal well or sideslip a tiger moth for toffee but heck can they stickbang! Its just 'different' and they have as much right to be there as anybody else. Remember, It doesnt matter what you fly - As long as you fly! Andy

Oops. Forgot one thing. Still no prize for best junior pilot? C'mon...... Andy

Gents. Firstly, what a brilliant weekend and well done to all involved in making it happen. There were some issues on Saturday. I made some suggestions to the relevant people and on Sunday the whole situation was improved which was great to see. I have flown in and organised model shows and fly ins for many years and all can learn some thing from one another especially where the organisers themselves may not be that experienced off their own patch. The circuit of the day is a must and this on sunday resolved most of the problems of the Saturday. I agree a queue system would work well and the council toilets at the top of the field are both minging and becoming quite dangerous underfoot with rotting floors. A few portaloos might be good. I don't like to see kids retrieving models under any circumstances when other aircraft are flying. We should stop this. It doesn't look good and is not 'seen to be safe.' It would be nice to have a few more 'show' type slots to break things up a little and group certain models together and perhaps a slot for the editors and columnists to show what they can do. At least this way we all get to witness Graham Ashby actually flying something! Marshals in the pilots box should stand behind the pilots, not alongside or in front of them. On the last flight on Sunday my telemetry was showing massive frame losses compared to my other flights as people kept walking right in front of my transmitter as they milled about in the pilots box. Also, in my experience one marshall should 'lead' and OK every take off or landing while the others assist with the queueing or flying order. Worth some consideration I would have thought. Agreed, lets not turn this into a trade show, but also lets recognise that not everybody is interested in Dawn Patrols, Flying Fleas or replica engines that sound nice - but instead much prefer prop hanging and 3D in close proximity to the floor. These pilots tend to err at the younger end of our age span and have largely no interest in full size aviation or how realistic a model looks. Dont clip the kids wings just cos you're not big on 3D. These guys are magazine readers and forumites too. This weekend was i think my 4th fly in at Greenacres and I will certainly be back for the August event. The local lads are great, are receptive to constructive comments and simply work their nuts off. That alone is hard to find in any model club and we are all endebted. Thanks again lads. Andy Ellison

Just for clarity - I ordered through Kings Lynn Models who have been brilliant. They checked with Horizon while I was on the phone and were told two kits would be arriving in March. I put my name on one and paid a deposit to KLM. Its Horizon who now can't meet their previously promised dates. To discover that the big Pawnee is now discontinued and that the Decathlon orders have exceeded supply, reflects badly on HHUK who demonstrated both models so often last year. They described this to me as "an oversight". KLM have also been less than complementary about the number of Horizon orders they are losing because HHUK cannot supply. Andy

Oh dear. A change in management and operations restructuring have seen Horizon Hobbies go to pot. Stock at our UK division is now seemingly dictated by what the American HQ considers we should have. Point in case - After a full season of promoting the H9 Decathlon and Pawnee at just about every model show in the UK last year the Pawnee is now discontinued and the Decathlon I ordered in January for early March delivery went to late March, late April, early May, mid June, late June now Late July - If i'm lucky. They have my deposit but the e mail tennis clearly shows that our friends on this side of the pond are no longer in control of their own destiny. The kit, when it is finally shipped will go from China to Germany to America to the UK to KLM to me! Best not be damaged eh! Andy Edited By Slopetrashuk on 23/04/2014 12:41:04 Edited By Slopetrashuk on 23/04/2014 12:47:13

Nice on Dick. Loved your write up. Now, go do it again like you meant it! F5B is just never going to give you the same buzz otherwise! Andy Ellison

Posted by Slopetrashuk on 20/02/2014 17:37:32: Posted by Dave Bran on 17/02/2014 15:53:08: I know this is a "thing" of mine, but how is this issue of for giving people a clear indication of what they will be staring at a lot when it's "up there", i.e. showing underside orientation on reviews? Calibre - Not Clear Enough, looks plain blue?? (if so not good then at range if we ever get a clear summer sky!) Sorry Dave but can't let that one go without comment. What on earth has it got to do with you what colour I make the underside of my model? The Calibre is not an ARTF. Did you read the review? Suggest if you ever do make one you write 'Top' on the underside in big bold letters. Andy

... Edited By Slopetrashuk on 20/02/2014 17:40:37

Cant comment on the merger Paul but I've just had excellent customer service from Horizon on my DX18. Answered my calls straight away, did the repair over the xmas break, sent back asap completely free of charge. Dial the number and select the technical department. Andy

I'll be bringing a tug. I'll drop you high if you want but you can stay on for a prop screaming pass around the treeline if you like. Unless you're flying stupid sized (1/2 scale +), my Red Bull with DLE111 will be man enough. Andy

David, harping back to our recent conversation and assuming you understand what a proper hotliner is (i.e. not a  Blizzard) then a Typhoon with a second e fuz will cover you nicely for both bases. Andy Edited for bad language - and you should know better!   Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 11/09/2013 13:07:59

Sold a lot of models to buy that one, Filmbuff. We don't like Hangar Queens in the Skunkworks. See you at the Nats? Andy

Only a slow landing pic of the Hotliner? Did nobody get one at speed? Did BEB go out and buy a proper glider yet now he's seen one? Andy

Excellent weekend and thanks especially to the hosts. Top job again. Sod the weather! Dan is made up with his trophy for best visiting pilot. We reckon he made over 30 flights over the weekend including one in the heaviest deluge of today (Foamie Daves pic from earlier.) All the way home he was pestering me to come back to Greenacres next month. Maybe see you all back there again then! Andy Ellison

£9 to watch large models fly left hand circuits all day! Excellent value. I might go to Cosford again now! (Take my own food though eh!)