Good luck to the BMFA

[SIMON CRAGG]

Based on the latest news on the BMFA website, I would like to wish our team of "negotiators" the best of luck. By the sounds of it, they are coming up against a brick wall, with several previous agreements just being written off. The powers that be do not seem to have any empathy towards us. As I say....good luck to the BMFA, I am sure they will do their very best for us.

[GrumpyGnome]

Hear hear!

GG

[cymaz]

Finally some decent news coverage for the BMFA, showing that we do care about our hobby

[J D 8]

+ 1 on the above.

We need more items like this in the main media if we are to influence a change in the proposed regulations.

I speak from experience of representing a much smaller [ than the BMFA ] voluntary rescue organisation members in dispute with the DoT.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Cuban8]

A bit late in coming but a worthwhile piece nevertheless. Not sure I'd be talking about the possibility of BMFA members going under the radar and I'd challenge the notion of increased drone use that would conflict with our activities . ludicrous to compare fishing licences and permits to drone registration - quite different purposes and scope. This is not the time to roll over and give up, keep telling the truth about how ineffective registration will be, how we've been unjustly caught up in all this. 

 

 

Edited By Cuban8 on 08/06/2019 08:58:03

[JOHN MOSLEY 2]

It would be good if the CAA could publish information as to what the content of the on line test will be. We could assume it will be the legal question regarding our activities , but assume gets you in trouble. Some members will need time to learn what they should already know before the test is implemented. This is where the BMFA could help, because personally I believe the Registration and test are a done deal.

Edited By JOHN MOSLEY 2 on 08/06/2019 08:59:27

Edited By JOHN MOSLEY 2 on 08/06/2019 09:00:27

Edited By JOHN MOSLEY 2 on 08/06/2019 09:00:54

[Reno Racer]

In the full size flying industry, we call them the Campaign Against Aviation. You’d be amazed at the loop holes we have to jump through. I do hope the BMFA has success, this is after all a hobby and for me a break from all the regulation of full size operations.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Cuban8]

See on BBC website,' Why your pizza will never be delivered by drone'. Sums it all up and what here today and gone tomorrow politicians and others need to understand.The big multinationals with their slick posturing over drone deliveries need to be robustly challenged. Sorry chaps, we need to fight this to the very last and use all of our limited resources to the max. Publicity is everything, we need a well known name in the public eye to champion us as well.

[Engine Doctor]

I note that the number of responses received in the news article is 6000 ? That means that around 28000 BMFA members have decided to let their mates do the campaigning for them. Shame on any who have not responded and written to the out of touch authorities . Or are those 28000 lazy lot our problem flyers.

I know that many in my club have not bothered to respond even after repeated reminders from our club. It appears that many just roll over and give up. It was a good job our grandfather's didn't give up on "D Day".

Keep up the good work BMFA and good luck.

[John Privett]

Here is a link to the article Cuban8 mentioned a couple of posts ago:

Why your pizza will never be delivered by drone

[Cuban8]

Thanks John for the link.

[Dane Crosby]

I just don't know what our politicians are thinking about. For the Baroness, whom incidentally totally flanned a formal letter sent to her by myself, to compare licensing model aircraft (sic "Drones" ) for safety and security threats to licensing fishing is crass. Is fishing a safety and security risk? Unlikely I suppose.

For decades there has been robust "interference with flight" laws which have severe penalties.  The alleged Drone attacks on Gatwick fall nicely under this umbrella. Thus, there is already a robust law to cover the issue. No knee jerk action is needed; just detection and prosecution. 

Now, Grayling wants to have sound checkers on roads to check for the "boy racers" on motorcycles and custom cars whom are deemed to be antisocial to the public. My other pastime is working on and running kit cars. There is already a robust law governing the noise output from a vehicle. These laws are in the SVA/IVA tests that modified cars are subject to. The car must stay below a required Db level at a certain RPM. Its all on the VOSA web site. I notice that this will not apply to the deafening noise from buses and trucks in town.

Again, the powers that be are trying to look active and important to some unaware members of the voting public by making what I call "Mirror Laws". Each MP must be made aware of how this is allowing senior politicians to start acting in the style of the old East German total control and oppression style of government.

Any wide boys won't care and will carry on without worrying about the deluge of legislation as with Drones, guns and fishing rods !!

Right, I'm off to do some beach casting. I hope you will all forgive me for being a safety and security risk !!

Edited By Dane Crosby on 08/06/2019 09:56:12

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[ken anderson.]

I would have thought that a few of the "organizations" would have used their PR depts to contact the media, to point out the potential injustice that is going to be introduced......and how its going to possibly Kapow our RC modelling activities as we know it....

ken anderson...ne...1....Kapowing dept.

[Gary Murphy 1]

I am not a very well educated man in my mid 50`s,have no interest in politics etc.

With all whats wrong with our country (uk) at the moment do we really want/need this from the "leaders"

If you are a member of a model flying club that should be enough. You can not stop "bad stuff" from happening if someone is intent on doing it.

Knife crime is much more a issue and what as been done about that,ask how mant have been caught carry I knive and put away,it carries 5 year jail term.

Shooting pastimes were hit hard years ago,thousands left the hobby/sport.

the whole thing is a joke.

[paul coleman 1]

I agree with you totally gary murphy,but unfortunately,everything is about politics,theres no escaping from it,and yes,some where along the lines,this comes into it ££££££££££.happy landings chaps.

[Ronaldo]

Posted by Engine Doctor on 08/06/2019 09:25:26:

I note that the number of responses received in the news article is 6000 ? That means that around 28000 BMFA members have decided to let their mates do the campaigning for them. Shame on any who have not responded and written to the out of touch authorities . Or are those 28000 lazy lot our problem flyers.

I know that many in my club have not bothered to respond even after repeated reminders from our club. It appears that many just roll over and give up. It was a good job our grandfather's didn't give up on "D Day".

Keep up the good work BMFA and good luck.

At first I looked at the figure of '6000' responses with disbelief, and thought surely it was a typo error, but yes I've read the same elsewhere. Where were all you other non-responsive modellers in our time of need ? Sadly in that case we are still surrounded by members who 'just do nothing' ! and leave it to others to take up the slack. It's been well publicised in clubs and our BMFA magazine, and website. It only took a few minutes to complete. I'm sure they must have had access to a PC to fill in the online response page, if not their own then a family member's or a mate's.

I've been a modeller for 50 + years, and others for even longer. For many of us it's been a labour of love, enjoying the hobby, and selflessly helping others along the way, much so that's it become a big part of our lives. So for those who still 'do nothing', and leave it for others to make the effort, if our great hobby goes belly up then you will have no right to complain afterwards !

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by Engine Doctor on 08/06/2019 09:25:26:

I note that the number of responses received in the news article is 6000 ? That means that around 28000 BMFA members have decided to let their mates do the campaigning for them. Shame on any who have not responded and written to the out of touch authorities . Or are those 28000 lazy lot our problem flyers.

I know that many in my club have not bothered to respond even after repeated reminders from our club. It appears that many just roll over and give up. It was a good job our grandfather's didn't give up on "D Day".

Keep up the good work BMFA and good luck.

Well said ED but I suspect that far less than half of our club members are committed aeromodellers - and there are the odd ones who renew year after year and are never seen at the field. Those with a peripheral interest may very well just roll over and find something else to do with the small amount of spare time they invest in model flying.

I would hope that everyone contributing to the forum - and those interested enough to just read the posts - would have taken action but forum members are a tiny percentage of club membership if my own experience is typical.

I have no doubt that the BMFA are working exceptionally hard at negotiating some sort of reasonable solution. We need to respond to any requests they make and support the position that we are part of a responsible and committed organisation.

Although the CAA may have gained an unfortunate nickname, they do seem to have been very reasonable and approachable in my own limited experience. My previous hobby/sport (gliding) was allowed to largely self regulate under the British Gliding Association with its own inspectors issuing Certificates of Airworthiness - even gaining the privilege of gliders being allowed to cross airways in conditions of good visibility. The recent concession to association members flying models above the blanket 400' limit is another example of their pragmatic response to well reasoned argument.

For many years, the Silver C gliding qualification was seen to satisfy the air experience element of a PPL and (in theory) only required a pilot to pass the General Flying and legal/theory tests in order to gain a licence to fly powered aircraft (of course, a certain amount of training was required in practice) until 4 hours of instrument flying was added. This has parallels with calls for the A test to be seen as having demonstrated sufficient knowledge but I don't see the on-line test as being the real problem here - clubs can certainly assist any members with lack of computer skills/access - who are becoming a minority anyway. I can't see many new recruits to the hobby being put off by having to pass such an easy test (no exam conditions, as much reference material as you need) and they would probably regard it as a normal step to "qualification" to fly without supervision.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[malmaz]

Posted by Engine Doctor on 08/06/2019 09:25:26:

I note that the number of responses received in the news article is 6000 ? That means that around 28000 BMFA members have decided to let their mates do the campaigning for them. Shame on any who have not responded and written to the out of touch authorities . Or are those 28000 lazy lot our problem flyers.

I know that many in my club have not bothered to respond even after repeated reminders from our club. It appears that many just roll over and give up. It was a good job our grandfather's didn't give up on "D Day".

Keep up the good work BMFA and good luck.

Was at our club monthly meeting this week, around 85 members in total, 23 of us turned up, Of those 23 a hand full of us had bothered to fill in the consultation form, write to the CAA, DFT or local MP.

So, As Ronaldo said in his post, So for those who still 'do nothing', and leave it for others to make the effort, if our great hobby goes belly up then you will have no right to complain afterwards !

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[cymaz]

3/4 of the membership didn’t bother to reply....that’s sickening. Are these the same people who will be moaning about no one doing anything because they now have more rules and restrictions!

In this and age of easy online forms and emails there is no excuse at all.