Willowlea Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 And the rest are on my flcker **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Great pics Willowlea, you managed to get behind the rope on the scale line? What did you think to the improvements the organisers made to the scale line, shorter grass, information plaques, and commentary? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Great pics W - the one of the SE5A is particularly fine - very evocative. Thanx very much for putting them up. I'll enjoy the Flickr ones later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willowlea Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Thanks chaps, I love biplanes and WW1 aircraft so am afraid I am a bit biased towards them- if left to my own devices would prolly be about 300 pictures of them out of the 315 that I kept !! I was fortunate to have a press pass Danny so could snap away to my hearts content, downside to being on the flight line though is that I seem to have inadvertently ended up in other peoples pictures and videos arrgh!- next year am wearing a cardboard box on me head! It was my first time there so I cant really comment about the improvements but I found the plaques really helpful, afraid I struggled hearing the commentary but what i did hear was informative and especially the chap on the scale flight line, he was hilarious . I loved every minute of it and thought it was really well organised. I know there is a far amount of criticism about these events, it must be hard to please everyone all of the time, but as a first timer I can't wait to go back next year- the variety of models, disciplines and the camaraderie is what made it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willowlea Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I wrote this for another forum but am sure they won't mind me sharing it, as a first timer to this and pretty new to the hobby this is from my perspective as a noob and what to me made it such a special weekend When I first arrived it was dark, the only part of the camp I saw was the bit I had driven past and the area where we were camping. Busy-ish I thought, but not “the world’s biggest campsite” as I had read. So waking up in daylight to see the huge amount of tents, campers, caravans parked definitely had the “wow” factor for me. Who says modelling is in decline? Certainly not evident if you went to the NATS!!! You don’t realise how big this hobby is till you see and hear people from all over the UK and abroad, come together in one place. Here were heaps of people, all brought together because of their love of modelling and flying, whatever the genre, all ages wanting to share, experience and have fun. No matter what an individual may find wrong (and undoubtedly there is always something someone doesn’t like, or would like- that’s life) the BMFA had organised something huge- something lots of people wanted to participate in ….and they provided this beyond doubt. That’s what makes the NATS so special. This wasn’t just about aircraft, it was evident this was about people coming together, enjoying something that can be a solitary hobby at times, laughing with friends they don’t get to see often, sharing each other’s builds, flying achievements (good or bad) and having fun. Because for all the forums, arguments, sharing of info- at the end of the day the clue is the name- hobby. It IS a hobby, something meant to be fun, uplifting, challenging but rewarding and when you can share that with others of a like mind then what could be better? The NATS makes this available on a big scale for everyone. That's what makes the NATS so special. You only had to look at some of the models at first glance to see how much time, effort, sweat and tears had gone into creating some truly beautiful aircraft. When you got up closer to see the attention to detail, every intricate part down to smallest minute control panel in the cock pit, the riveting on the body, the weathering, the effort to make sure the U/C lifts at the right moment, the wings fold with a press of a button- every part of that model has been planned, put together, worked hard on. How can you not be in awe of these guys when they are then going to put their hard work into the air, dependent not only on their skill (which was evidently in abundance when you watched them fly!) but any uncontrollable technical glitches, any adverse weather conditions. Even down to the simple artf out of the box, has had someone put work and effort into it and then, with a gulp, been put into the air in the hopes that it comes back down in one piece! You can spend all day in a workshop creating these models, on your own, but I hope these guys went home with a sense of pride and achievement having been able to show everyone the effort they have put into their hobby and share their knowledge. That has to be a good feel factor and a boost of confidence to anyone. That's what makes the NATS so special. Then there is the flying, watching someone take to the sky with their aircraft. I can fly on the Sim, put a tx in my hands at the moment and my nerves go to pot lol, but I love flying and I definitely appreciate watching the skill these pilots have and the hours they have put into practising to then stand in front of thousands of people and do just that- I admire them immensely (with some degree of envy lol!) . The jets soaring through the sky at breathtaking speed whilst doing loops and rolls, the control of the acrobatic manoeuvres indoors and outdoors, the team efforts of synchronised flying, the exact trimming of an FF model for lift and longevity. One of the biggest achievements of mankind, for me, has to be the ability to take to the skies. What was once a pipe dream to people like Hero of Alexandria, George Cayley, the Wright brothers now everyone and anyone can have a go, no matter how good or not you are- at the end of the day we are all the same, ordinary people doing something we enjoy and having a go. You only had to walk into the hanger at night and watch children as young as 5/6 years of age building their own Darts, having so much fun flying them to see how this hobby can bring together so many different ages, genders, nationalities, experiences. Those kids may never take up model flying but for that day, that moment they will remember how much fun and achievement they had flying something they built themselves. That's what makes the NATS so special. I cant imagine how much organisation goes into this, how many hours went into such a huge event of every different genre of flying you could imagine to please so many hundreds of people but I appreciate it and I thank everyone of them for giving me the chance to experience something so unique and special. The BMFA, every pilot and model builder who gave us the opportunity to witness their amazing aircraft and flying, the volunteers from the judges to the marshals and British Red Cross, all the forum members and other chaps from other forums I kept bumping into for all your support and friendliness for sharing this and making me feel a part of a truly brilliant, fun event. You are what make the NATS special Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Reynolds LaserCraft Services Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Well said Willowlea, I couldn't agree more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.