Alive and very much kicking

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

I have posted this in a thread elsewhere but I thought it perhaps beuseful to start a new topic to remind ourselves, and more importantly show people looking at getting involved with our amazing sport just how wonderful model aircraft flying is. Below is from one of my articles in the BMFA News from a few years ago that I adapted for a Facebook post.

Feel free to add your positives to the list! Need to do it over a couple of posts as its a bit long. (Sorry)

Time to be positive about what we do folks, too much negativity in this group and too many incorrect and frankly damaging negative posts going on. Lets actually start to give an accurate picture of what we do and how wonderful flying model aircraft of all types is! This group should be promoting all the good things about our sport.

Reasons to be positive, a list to get things started! (In no particular order)

1) Wonderful people! What makes any activity worth doing is the people.

2) Model flying clubs, advice, banter, training, support, quite simply the best place to go to get started in our wonderful sport.

3) The chance to get off on your own to a slope or open space to fly on your own, just you and you model!

4) The sheer variety of what we do!

5) The BMFA, we get so much for so little, what a bargain. Especially the work in Europe and with the CAA/DFT, led by the BMFA CEO to reduce the impact of any new regulation on us. Priceless!

6) Great for all ages and abilities.

7) The competition scene, the sportsmanship, the talent!

8) Those relaxing sport flying sessions on a lovely afternoon at the club.

9) Awesome scale model aircraft, real works of art that very talented builders lavish love and hours of dedication to build, then risk them flying in all sorts of conditions.

10) Foamies!! Brilliant for those without the knowledge to build, or the time, but still let people experience flying a model aircraft.

Edited By Andy Symons - BMFA on 25/01/2021 17:57:35

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

11) Modern radio equipment, amazing value and reliability.

12) Free Flight, the satisfaction of making your model fly how you want it to just from trimming.

13) Gas Turbines, simply awesome!

14) Control Line Team racing, bonkers and brilliant in equal measure!

15) Drone Racing, simply brilliant and showing the way forward with technology and running events, get your club to invite the BDRA along to run a race, give it a go!

16) Building your own creation and flying it, soooo rewarding!

17) Shows, a chance to see great flying displays and meet up with friends

18) BMFA Buckminster, its brilliant!

19) That young kid who picks up a transmitter and shows us how its done in no time at all (Grrrr) lol

20) That old guy who comes along with his old tatty glow model and the smile on his face as he potters around the sky

21) Everyone in between!

22) RC Helicopters, drones, fixed wing RC, free flight, control line, indoor flying, all brilliant!!

I could go on, what we do is brilliant and a great sport for anyone to be involved in at whatever level you want. Time to remember that folks and be positive and promote what we do rather than knock it down!

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

So over to you lets highlight the positives and the wonderful stories you all have.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

I still have a pulse, I could spend rest of my days fretting or enjoy myself doing what I do, choice is easy.

[FlyinBrian]

Andy

Positive enthusiastic people like yourself!

[Phil McCavity]

The variety of skills you can dabble in as part of the hobby: Woodworking, metal working, learning to work and shape panels in alternative materials, design, scale building, painting and weathering, scaling up or down, IC engines and everything that comes with that, electronics......and even flying.

[J D 8 - Moderator]

Building, fixing, even assembling ARTF's models, something satisfying to do when there is rubbish on the [ flat ] box in the corner.

[Tim Flyer]

Yes a great reason to be positive is the massive variety of different areas which are open nowadays. I still have yet to try FPV fixed wing which is on my “one day” list !
I also watched the pylon racing introduction webinar from BMFA just before Christmas with great interest and was very very impressed with the flying skills.
I love the engine tuning side although my pilot skills are certainly not yet up to it !!
Slope soaring looks great too especially with a nice relaxed model ... that dynamic soaring... wow ! That 500mph plus plane video posted the other day .. so fast I didn’t even manage to spot the plane!
its great being able to see different aspects of the hobby even if I’m not going to get immediately involved with them .

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Despite all the challenges facing us we are getting new members, our fields fantastic, we have the money to survive, we've a good relationship with our landlord.

We've moved into the internet age, thanks to certain members efforts, BMFA is fighting our corner and is well aware of life as it is, and has it's eye on the ball.

Communication from the BMFA has improved no end, there's stuff going on all the time, stuff aplenty on the web to entertain and inform us, if covid hadn't risen it's ugly head NFC would have had a full calendar.

Focus on what you can do, not what has gone.

[alan p]

For the oldies extra bonus "WAKING UP IN THE MORNING"

[Eric Robson]

Posted by alan p on 25/01/2021 18:57:10:

For the oldies extra bonus "WAKING UP IN THE MORNING"

I don't think 3am was part of the plan.

Since taking up R/c modelling again my health has improved or had until covid.

[Tony j]

Down the patch on a summers evening everything just so, then you do that (rare in my case)

Perfect landing

Kind Regards

Tony S

[brokenenglish]

Posted by alan p on 25/01/2021 18:57:10:

For the oldies extra bonus "WAKING UP IN THE MORNING"

That's almost one of my favourite quotes (Groucho Marx).

"At my age, when you wake up in the morning, it's a surprise already!!!"

[Brian Cooper]

I think you have covered most of the bases there, Andy.

For some of us who have been in the game for 60+ years, it is so much more than a mere hobby. . . It's a passion.

[Lima Hotel Foxtrot]

I was told this by one of the guys from my LMS (Addlestone Models) who I'm in a club with.

A kid aged about 10-12 had found Flite Test online, got intrigued and excited and bought the FT Mighty Mini Corsair kit online.

He and his dad brought it into the shop (between lockdowns) and asked what they could do to make it actually fly instead of just tentpeg. It turned out that enthusiasm had trumped thought, research and paying attention to the FT videos, and the small warbird - not an ideal first plane for building and flying anyway - was way too tail heavy because of the huge amount of hot glue and enormous Li-Ion nicked from an RC car, massive ESC and tiny prop. All wrong, in other words.

He told them to treat it as an object lesson, but good job on actually giving it a go, and pointed them towards the FT Flyer (which I had introduced him to as a brilliant little combat plane - hours of cheap, easy fun!) as a straight forward build from cheap materials that would give them a much better first flight experience. He sold them more appropriate bits and off they went.

The best part about this is that apparently a couple of weeks later, the shop received an email with a video showing the kid having an absolute whale of a time zooming the Flyer around a field somewhere.

So there you go; a bit of enthusiasm, friendly guidance and encouragement and a pair of tyro model flyers are born.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Posted by Lima Hotel Foxtrot on 26/01/2021 11:09:53:

I was told this by one of the guys from my LMS (Addlestone Models) who I'm in a club with.

A kid aged about 10-12 had found Flite Test online, got intrigued and excited and bought the FT Mighty Mini Corsair kit online.

He and his dad brought it into the shop (between lockdowns) and asked what they could do to make it actually fly instead of just tentpeg. It turned out that enthusiasm had trumped thought, research and paying attention to the FT videos, and the small warbird - not an ideal first plane for building and flying anyway - was way too tail heavy because of the huge amount of hot glue and enormous Li-Ion nicked from an RC car, massive ESC and tiny prop. All wrong, in other words.

He told them to treat it as an object lesson, but good job on actually giving it a go, and pointed them towards the FT Flyer (which I had introduced him to as a brilliant little combat plane - hours of cheap, easy fun!) as a straight forward build from cheap materials that would give them a much better first flight experience. He sold them more appropriate bits and off they went.

The best part about this is that apparently a couple of weeks later, the shop received an email with a video showing the kid having an absolute whale of a time zooming the Flyer around a field somewhere.

So there you go; a bit of enthusiasm, friendly guidance and encouragement and a pair of tyro model flyers are born.

[Richard Acland]

Posted by brokenenglish on 25/01/2021 20:12:32:

Posted by alan p on 25/01/2021 18:57:10:

For the oldies extra bonus "WAKING UP IN THE MORNING"

That's almost one of my favourite quotes (Groucho Marx).

"At my age, when you wake up in the morning, it's a surprise already!!!"

As someone once said, when I wake up in the morning I stick my elbows out and if I am not touching wood I'm OK

[Andy Symons - BMFA]

Another reason to be cheerful.

There are quite a few people requesting trial flights through the trail flights map. They are out there, be positive be welcoming and we will grab them.

Trial flight map is at **LINK** is yur club on it?