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BMFA Mag February 2022.


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Plenty in there to read. Mannys columns are not full of drone/reg issues nor Covid, so that's a plus, hopefully weather will be good and normality resumes and the Center is booked solid all year.

 

Mike Cawood flying his models at the Knavesmire event. ?

 

F3A. My the models have changed, not sure what to say.

 

Duncans article. Collision avoidance maneuver ? Not for me I think, I thought the test was about personal achievement Where's this fit in ? Seems like change just to be doing something.

 

Examiners and RCC. States only a small number stepped down, good news for me, numbers going up for examiner tests also, good news again.

 

100th anniversary events. Posted on our forums for Ideas on how our club can join in, deathly silence. ?

 

Good issue. ?

 

 

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14 hours ago, john stones 1 - Moderator said:

Duncans article. Collision avoidance maneuver ? Not for me I think, I thought the test was about personal achievement Where's this fit in ? Seems like change just to be doing something.

 

Yes, that is a bit of a strange one. What is it they are trying to simulate? Avoidance of a collisoion with a full size entering the circuit? An uninvolved member of the public wandering across the strip? Other models flying at the same time? Who knows. Somehow I can't see it getting very far as a concept, but who knows - maybe they are doing this as another way to help reassure the CAA the Article 16 Authorisation is worth renewing each year.

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Speaking as a tyro flyer I have to say that frankly, I find the BMFA mag dull and hardly ever useful. I wonder what proportion of the BMFA membership appreciates, values or enjoys the magazine? I wonder by how much the sub could be reduced by ditching the magazine? I belong purely for the insurance and because my club requires it. If the magazine was better - and I've worked professionally with many magazine titles, UK and abroad - it might provide added value to membership, but really, it's hopelessly old fashioned and amateurish.

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16 minutes ago, Tony Harrison 2 said:

Speaking as a tyro flyer I have to say that frankly, I find the BMFA mag dull and hardly ever useful. I wonder what proportion of the BMFA membership appreciates, values or enjoys the magazine? I wonder by how much the sub could be reduced by ditching the magazine? I belong purely for the insurance and because my club requires it. If the magazine was better - and I've worked professionally with many magazine titles, UK and abroad - it might provide added value to membership, but really, it's hopelessly old fashioned and amateurish.

You are missing the reason for the magazine's existence.

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Mmm, better than nothing...

 

Not everyone has a laptop or PC to view bmfa or here for that matter. Using an internet phone ( no Landline or laptop/pc ) with a small screen and sometimes ludicrous predictive text, is a pita.

 

At least the bmfa mag keeps me reasonably ( although two months plus old) up to date.

 

Bmfa emails also keep me informed.

 

The mag shows reasonably informative stuff and what's going on.

 

For a tyro there are bmfa info sheets and booklets online. I print off bmfa stuff I consider needed and keep in my bmfa dedicated file.

 

For modelmaking stuff and techniques, there are several internet sites and forums, this place being one of them.

 

Ditto for help, advise and "look what I'm making, flying, crashed ", this place is good.

 

Long live bmfa and mag.

 

Stay safe out there, safe flying is no accident.

 

Ps, it doesn't need batteries or internet.

Edited by Rich Griff
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3 minutes ago, Rich Griff said:

Bmfa emails also keep me informed.

 

The mag shows reasonably informative stuff and what's going on.

Neither of these is obviously true in my opinion, and I'm not sure what you mean by "what's going on" - unless it's shows, open days etc? In general I find neither the magazine nor the occasional BMFA emails informative - at least, no information that I want or need. And my post was at least half concerned with the actual quality & style of the mag, not simply the existence of a mag for BMFA members. I'm sure others enjoy and appreciate the magazine, as you clearly do, but I just don't think it's terribly good.

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7 minutes ago, Tony Harrison 2 said:

.................................... And my post was at least half concerned with the actual quality & style of the mag, not simply the existence of a mag for BMFA members. I'm sure others enjoy and appreciate the magazine, as you clearly do, but I just don't think it's terribly good.

I am sure the "BMFA" follow these threads, so what type of improvement in style, quality, and content would you like to see.

Not getting at you - just a genuine question to perhaps start a discussion on what people want.

 

Dick

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I have some sympathy with Tony's view. I enjoy the magazine, but this issue left me with more questions than answers. For example, the fascinating taster on indoor endurance took me back to reading about this unique aspect of the hobby as a child. Sadly, after flicking through, and then re-reading, I had no idea what it was all about. If I'm totally honest, I could barely discern if these amazing models were still rubber powered! Never mind understand what a good flight time is. I accept that those that know, know, but a summary paragraph would help widen the hobby to the great unwashed.

 

I also accept that the content varies depending on the writer, and we have to accept the abilities of those writing. The recent reports on fun fly, for example were very informative. But I can see where Tony is coming from; if you know about the articles, were there, had an already well informed view etc, this was a good edition. If you didn't, it was a bit hard to grasp...

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Nigel R said:

 

I think it's safe to say that one individual is not the entirety of the intended audience.

 

I'm sure you're right - but I doubt I'm the only one who finds the mag disappointing and/or a waste of time. It really is out of date, old fashioned, clunky, dull and amateurish. It might be interesting to survey the membership on the subject.

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Well the BMFA News is OKish as far as it goes, lots and lots about the new magic Centre, but that is not much use unless you are reasonably local to it.

 

However the major missing stuff is about what the BMFA is doing, or going to do about pro actively protecting our existing flying sites and rights. Even making it mandatory for local councils to provide suitable places. Within a mile of where I live there are acres of public football sites, all nicely mowed by my local taxation money, but with very little use. There are no local flying sites!

 

So let us see equal space in the BMFA News page for page regarding the "Center" and "Protection of our sites and rights" Model flying must be the least protected and funded and encouraged sport in the UK (or in the world). Go look at model flying sites in the USA or Germany to see the difference. It is common to find hard runways, club houses and other facilities.

 

So buck up BMFA stop going on about the Centre and tell us what you are going to do for the majority of your paying members!

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24 minutes ago, Graham Davies 3 said:

I have some sympathy with Tony's view. I enjoy the magazine, but this issue left me with more questions than answers. For example, the fascinating taster on indoor endurance took me back to reading about this unique aspect of the hobby as a child. Sadly, after flicking through, and then re-reading, I had no idea what it was all about. If I'm totally honest, I could barely discern if these amazing models were still rubber powered! Never mind understand what a good flight time is. I accept that those that know, know, but a summary paragraph would help widen the hobby to the great unwashed.

 

I also accept that the content varies depending on the writer, and we have to accept the abilities of those writing. The recent reports on fun fly, for example were very informative. But I can see where Tony is coming from; if you know about the articles, were there, had an already well informed view etc, this was a good edition. If you didn't, it was a bit hard to grasp...

 

 

Funny that, as I manged to read "it doesn't matter what weight of rubber you end up using" on page 16 of the article about " Indoor Duration" as I could not find the article mentioned about "indoor endurance". So taking a wild guess from reading the report about the "Indoor Duration Nationals" they are rubber powered. I find the BMFA magazine generally very good, not out of date or amateurish. It keeps me informed and interested. I particularly liked the one on small helicopters in this edition.  Perhaps those who moan should write some interesting articles for the BMFA News, I will be most interested to read them. Oh yes, there was a recent membership survey and the majority were in favour of keeping it.

Edited by Christopher Long 1
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51 minutes ago, Tony Harrison 2 said:

Speaking as a tyro flyer I have to say that frankly, I find the BMFA mag dull and hardly ever useful. I wonder what proportion of the BMFA membership appreciates, values or enjoys the magazine? I wonder by how much the sub could be reduced by ditching the magazine? I belong purely for the insurance and because my club requires it. If the magazine was better - and I've worked professionally with many magazine titles, UK and abroad - it might provide added value to membership, but really, it's hopelessly old fashioned and amateurish.

A tad harsh Tony. However, you are right in part about its content being shall way say, often a bit 'specialist' for the ordinary Sunday flyer and  sport modeller whose life is not taken over by the hobby or competition world i.e the mainstay of our membership.  I understand that the magazine is not aimed to be a direct competitor to RCM&E and its content clearly reflects that. Four pages of aerodynamics, Reynolds Numbers, aerofoils, static margins and Kinematic Viscosity that we were treated to in the latest issue would not see the mag do very well on the news stands against what few mags we have left.  Equally, a blow by blow account of a trip abroad to a usually unpronouncable destination to fly models, I doubt holds much interest for many.

We get the mag as part of our subs and most members do go through it and pick up on an article that interests or perhaps informs them of something that they're unaware of. Not all bad naturally, but I think the mag is published too often and struggles to fill its pages and even more so now as on-line content to members is increasingly more relevant from the point of view of CAA and Achievement Scheme updates and other email communications etc. I won't bother to mention having the mag go online only as that's bordering on blasphemy?.

I do read the mag but not cover to cover and those parts that hold no interest for me I'll just skip read over, look at the pics but take on board anything that's important or is of particular interest. I have it by my side as I type this and I'll dip back in again to it over a coffee later on.  I have a feeling that most members do pretty much the same.

 

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32 minutes ago, Tony Harrison 2 said:

On the contrary, EB, everything's looking rosy. I'm just curious to know what you think is the reason or justification for the magazine. I can see perfectly well that a really good mag would be an asset - but I don't think it's good.

As it happens I am not having a good time at present.

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1 hour ago, Christopher Long 1 said:

Funny that, as I manged to read "it doesn't matter what weight of rubber you end up using" on page 16 of the article about " Indoor Duration" as I could not find the article mentioned about "indoor endurance". So taking a wild guess from reading the report about the "Indoor Duration Nationals" they are rubber powered. I find the BMFA magazine generally very good, not out of date or amateurish. It keeps me informed and interested. I particularly liked the one on small helicopters in this edition.  Perhaps those who moan should write some interesting articles for the BMFA News, I will be most interested to read them. Oh yes, there was a recent membership survey and the majority were in favour of keeping it.

I don't think that the overall majority of members were in favour of keeping the magazine when IIRC only 1/3 of the membership actually bothered to  reply to the survey. A 1/3 response was hailed as a great success, and I suppose in the world of those that are expert on such matters such as the media, advertising and polls then maybe it was, but in terms of our small and specialist organisation, to have 2/3 of a relatively small total number of people not bothering to express a view is far from encouraging and not a completely reliable indicator with which to base the future direction of the association if the opinions of its members are to be taken into account. One cannot force our members to take a few minutes to tick through a survey and I find it disheartening when people say "I only pay the BMFA subs because I have to to get insurance to fly at my club".

I don't think we're moaning about the magazine, but just expressing and opinion from our own point of view and preferences. Equally, saying that members should submit more of their own articles for publication would only make the matter worse, unless those articles were very general in subject and more for entertainment. Not an easy formula to get right I should think.

 

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11 minutes ago, john stones 1 - Moderator said:

The opposite to that C8 is the majority are not against, they didn't avail themselves of the chance to say so. You work with those who join in, decide the future with those that join in, just like you do at your clubs, otherwise nothing gets done. You want a say ? Give some input.

I don't disagree with you John, but having so many of our members clearly not interested in anything other than their insurance for their forty quid cannot do the Association any good in the longer term.

On the main subject of the magazine, I do feel that its contents, no matter how well written and produced is not addressing effectively the problem of the majority of our members being so disengaged.

Next time you're over the field, ask around your clubmates what they think of the mag. I bet that you'll get most replies in the form of " Well, it's OK.......but".

Edited by Cuban8
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11 hours ago, Cuban8 said:

I don't disagree with you John, but having so many of our members clearly not interested in anything other than their insurance for their forty quid cannot do the Association any good in the longer term.

On the main subject of the magazine, I do feel that its contents, no matter how well written and produced is not addressing effectively the problem of the majority of our members being so disengaged.

Next time you're over the field, ask around your clubmates what they think of the mag. I bet that you'll get most replies in the form of " Well, it's OK.......but".

 

I agree C8, been there done that, the lesson I take from it is, concentrate on the willing ones otherwise nothing happens, the others contribute to the coffers anyway.

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