No model Flying in the Cardiff area 3-5 Sep 14

[John Privett]

Posted by Tony Bennett on 04/09/2014 10:58:07:

i don't remember there being this much hoo har over the 2 week Olympic restriction on model flying.

No, there wasn't. But that covered a rather smaller area and only applied to models >7kg.

[Dizz]

Posted by Codename-John on 04/09/2014 20:17:33:

 

The war of aggression in Iraq carried out by NATO in 2003 has no connection to the NATO summit today ? oh my days, Have you ever heard of ISIS ?

 

That was a Coalition Operation (including Several Arab States), nothing to do with NATO at all.

Pete

Edited By Dizz on 04/09/2014 22:47:01

[Pete B]

Folks, this thread is, regretfully, drifting off-topic towards a political disagreement which will inevitably end in tears/ thread closure.

If you wish to discuss the wider aspects of the world situation and recent history, please do so elsewhere.... thanks.

Pete

[ROY DAVIES 1]

Just to set the worries and concerns of those who are preaching on. I live west of Newport by about 35 miles and there in the sky on the westerly wind this morning was a collection of crescent shaped clouds. So rest easy as that was indication that there was an AWACS or an EC135 circling the Newport area looking out for you. I wonder was it monitoring the 2'4 band? Further to the mention of a Quad carrying a gun Visualise this a quad carryingy fragile glass vials of Ebola virus. Nuff said.

[Steve Houghton 1]

Well my contingency plan worked and I managed to miss the traffic around Newport. Only about 250 protesters marched on their futile quest through the town yesterday and that didn't affect me.

More importantly, my batteries are charged and I shall be hitting the slopes of SE Wales this weekend. Woohoo!

[Dave Hopkin]

Posted by Steve Houghton 1 on 05/09/2014 07:10:38:

Well my contingency plan worked and I managed to miss the traffic around Newport. Only about 250 protesters marched on their futile quest through the town yesterday and that didn't affect me.

More importantly, my batteries are charged and I shall be hitting the slopes of SE Wales this weekend. Woohoo!

Lets hope that "hitting the slopes" was a metaphor for going there not a prediction

[Erfolg]

Now that the NATO conference is over, we can look at the restrictions with far less emotion.

I still have concerns.

In the case of the NATO conference, it is easier to understand, the concerns of many. Particularly when we reflect that WW1 started with the assassination of a VIP, by agents, generally now accepted acting as state sponsored or supported individuals, who undertook the attack on a symbol of the state. Then the attack on the World Trade Towers, being the catalyst for the invasion of Afghanistan, on the grounds of harbouring Bin Laden by the USA/NATO. We can argue if the responses are right and correct, yet the consequences can be dire and the outcome of actions unpredictable.

However, on the precedence of such action, could encourage security services and Local Authorities to impose flying restrictions or bans when Political Parties hold conferences in places such as Brighton, Blackpool, Liverpool or Manchester. The attack on the Conservative conference at Brighton, did not prompt a invasion of Eire, for what ever reasons that can be put forward.

I can see that the NATO conference was a potentially attractive target , with some World Leaders present and symbolically against NATO which represents a military organisation with a certain political position.

Yet many other events do not present the same overall image. Although to those who have a view, that you can never be to careful. Or model flying is not essential, and prevention would remove or reduce the potential of what ever their view point is.

On that basis I would urge the BMFA not to be just a compliant body, but to fight our corner for a proportionate policy, not one where because we the authorities can do it, we will. Local authorities are often the worst for this approach, just listen to personal experiences of so many.

Whilst us ordinary flyers, should be vigilant to any members of our clubs or members of the public whose behaviours or even actions are suspect.

[Prop Nut]

Spot on, Erfolg! 'We, the authorities, can do it, so we will'. This is exactly the sort of stuff we need to question, question, question, preferably via a robust approach from the BMFA. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.

[John Privett]

Erfolg, I think you've incorporated my concerns too.

Next time there's a "big event"™, somebody in power will probably be thinking - "We'd better have the 20-mile air exclusion policy again, it worked well in Cardiff and nobody got killed..."

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Thank you Erfolg - your post encapsulates my concerns and appreciations of the realities perfectly.

Edited By Martin Harris on 06/09/2014 12:38:06