Amazing Skies

Ok folks, thanks for the responses - here's a bit of an update. I visited the 2 clubs nearby - 1 is electric only - the other is all model types and much bigger. Purchased Spektrum NX8 plus other bits and pieces and a flight simulator, which has been helpful - my hands haven't forgotten what to do after 20 years - Awesome!!! Flight sims have come a long way 🙂 Pretty rusty but looking forward to getting a model in the air. I'm going to have to get an ARF first up - probably an Ultra Stick and probably Electric powered. I'll get back to building balsa planes and cutting foam cores for Combat Gremlins when I can...

Thanks Graham. It's odd to see how the radio business has changed with technology. JR, Multiplex and Futaba were the main players. I'll try to get up to speed with the new technology - steep learning curve ahead. 🙂

Davis, there's a bunch of Australian sports models. - I could have shared a few but let my big bundle of plans go a long time ago. Airborne magazine had a huge inventory of plans but it's gone now and I can't find any information. Someone somewhere must have their stuff. I'll be trawling through my old hard drives looking for CAD files etc. Hopefully I'll find some useful stuff.

Yes indeed Graham, 2.4 GHz radio is a good thing - I've just found out about open source radio systems and haven't read much yet but it sounds interesting. It is a great hobby and I've got a lot of catching up to do

Thanks everyone for your responses. Yes, Australia is a very different place and distance - we just deal with it. I've always been amazed by the model scene in the UK with the options available, it must be fantastic. 20 years ago my 2 'local' flying club fields were 80+ km away and Saturday morning arriving at 6am to fly was normal. There's [at least] 2 model aircraft bodies here Model Aeronautical Association of Queensland [MAAQ] which is part of MAAA and Australian Miniature Aerosports Society [AMAS] and a few other specialist associations.

G'day Folks, I can't believe it has been 20 years - and so much has changed. The story is probably familiar - flew Sport Models [from 074 to 46 sizes], Sports Pylon, Combat planes, various electrics including 3D depron - almost everything built from plans or scratch built. [The Gremlins we built and flew are some of my fondest memories]. Work, family and stuff generally dragged me away and I went on to other things. Still have a few engines and electrical things I kept [Oh, throw in an Astro Hog kit and a bit of a balsa stash too] but with Australia now on 2.4ghz the old JR radio is obsolete. I lived in country Queensland back then but we relocated to the northside of Brisbane about 4 years ago. There seems to be a few clubs within and hour's drive so I'll be checking them out and I'll probably go electric since it's so much more viable now. Currently searching through free plans and articles etc. online - generally getting a feel for things. I can't find much "Australia Specific" content here but I'm sure there's got to be some. Will this work out? Hope so