Tom McDade Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I am brand new to flying....so much so that absolutly everything is new. My question (which will be easily answered I know) is what is an A certificate and why would I need one if I am going to fly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Tom I havn't got one & have been flying for 50 odd years .Enjoy building /learning/trimming etc.etc 'that's what it's all about.I went to a club meeting near where I'm now living & they explained the "A" thing .I said "do you want me to do it inverted ?" NANNY state fed up with it % it's destroying inventiveness that once upon a time made this country great Enjoy an ARTF or whatever ,Never mind the Regs (except noise & other restrictions put upon people doig what they enjoy Get insurance of course & get to know modellers ! It's the best hobby on earth .Go for it !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Hi Tom the A certificate is a simple examination that ensures you are acquianted with the rules and procedures (BMFA)of model flying in the company of other modellers. Part of it is being able to fly a predetermined set of routines fairly accurately, and part is showing that you are safe at both operating your model, and in respect of being aware of the public. I do not like being told what to do either but I have cowered in the corner of the pits when somebody less competent than they claim to be has lost control of a model and ended up in the pits. The main objective is safety for you, other flyers and the public. It is relatively easy and should pose no problem but should be taken seriously. Most clubs will not allow you to fly solo until you have shown you have achieved this level of competence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McDade Posted June 19, 2007 Author Share Posted June 19, 2007 Thanks again Myron and to you DannyI'll just fly on my tod for the moment. And wait a while before I get to know our local anorack brigade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Hi Tom, I do find the hobby is so much richer by being in a club, and if you are new to flying, then this gives you the option of learning using a buddy lead. Saves a lot of pain and money during the learning phase. It is voluntary and in my experience the club instructors really enjoy passing on there skills and knowledge to others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McDade Posted June 20, 2007 Author Share Posted June 20, 2007 Thanx for the encouragement Danny. I would rather bend my own plane, than have someone else do it for me. I do appreciate that there is a wealth of knowlege on a club field and hopfully one day i'll venture onto it and see how it goes.RegardsTom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 That was my point Tom, with a buddy lead you don't bend the plane at all! I spent 4 flights with my instructor and all he did was hold the buddy lead switch to enable me to fly. I had full control, but if I had got into trouble he could take control and recover the situation. Sure you can learn on your own, I did many years ago, and it cost me a fair few models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McDade Posted June 20, 2007 Author Share Posted June 20, 2007 It's just that I've heard its hard to get a instructor to leave his own equipment and spend half an hour with novices. And then not all of them can pull out of a situation...I'm not against folk who need help I just prefer to to learn myself without having to wait for someone.RegardsTom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Dickens Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 TomIf a club is any good then there will be instructors who competent and are willing to spend as much time as it will take to teach you to fly. In the past I have taken a model to the field on a Sunday morning and havn't flown it because I have spent all day with beginners on buddy boxes, I may be strange but I enjoy doing it. The last 5 people I taught to fly got to 'A' certificate standard without damaging their model. You may have to search around to find a club with this attitude but they do exist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Demand on an instructor can be high, and you are right some clubs will have more instructors than others, but the ratio seems good at the clubs I have been to. I have often seen them instruct all day and not fly their own plane at all. The rule tends to be fly three errors up, let the student struggle with the first, and even the second, then there is plenty of time for the instructor to recover the situation. I think it would be a very poor instructor that couldn't recover a trainer from even a low altitude using a buddy lead. Unless the lead falls out LOL which I have heard of, then nobody has control :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Gates Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 DannyIf the lead falls out, the plane looses control. Instructor sees the plane out of control and lets go of the training switch and recovers the model.Did I miss something?I have been flying for nearly 30 years and have never done a course or a certification test.If I want insurance from the BMFA does this really mean I need to pass a test?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Hi Andy, no you haven't missed anything at all, you are quite right, as soon as the switch is released control is regained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McDade Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 DannyWhat about insurance? Do I need a cert to get that?RegardsTom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 I believe that your BMFA membership covers you insurance wise, provided you are flying with the landowners permission, but I am not certain of that. If you fly at a park where model flying IS NOT permitted then your insurance is invalid. If you have no CE label on your transmitter your insurance is also invalid, (beware buying radio gear from abroad) Some flying sites such as ours require you to be a member of our club, and to have registered with the the local council to fly, that in turn means you must have an A to fly solo. (Soap box time LOL)I appreciate there is a lot of beurocracy nowadays, and I for one hate it, but if we don't play by the rules and something happens we all lose, the councils will stop letting us fly models in parks frequented by the public. I have recently heard of a very experienced flyer who flew toward the crowd at a show and something went wrong, somebody was seriously hurt, the flyer was jailed. If you want the BMFA to back you up you must play by their rules otherwise you really are on your own, and if anything does happen we will all be under very close scrutiny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McDade Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Fair point ThanxTom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth P Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Also worth noting, any serious accidents are subject to investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority Air Investigation Branch (according to notes in BMFA handbook)as per full size planes.If you can join a club, I am sure you will be offered instuction FOC..worth considering not only because binning your precious model costs time and money, but going out of control at 100 feet may damage property or persons in the vicinity... If you go down to a local club and the members don't seem willing to help, just find another club in your area. There are lots to choose from on the BMFA website. My experience is that most club members are a friendly bunch, who are happy to help. I hav'nt passed the "A" cert, but I consider myself to be a trained, safe pilot.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead-stick Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 I'm with Myron on this subject, although I have only been flying for 35+ years, and am self taught. This country is quickly (depressingly) turning into a pseudo American sue-your-a** state, AKA Nanny state. We don't need to be told how/where/when to fly. I have been a member of a few power clubs over the years, and been a guest at some others and I can honestly say that the only truly down to earth bunch of modellers I have flown with are slope soarers. Since I am on a sabbatical from sloping I power fly by myself and do not miss the so-called club expert (yawn), who still beats 10 bells out of his poor 4-stroke with an electric starter, or thinks that you are not worthy to talk to unless you have the latest all-can-do gear like he has. Long live freedom of thought and flight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Deadstick;Myron here .Have you read comments on the Flying in France thread ? Some fellow nanny state loathers on there as well.I gather you are one of the old (but young) school who actually uses digits to flick a prop .Gud on yer!! I use mine for playing musical instruments so any injury would be disasterous I cant stand "chicken sticks "either. No "feel "to it ! Know what I mean ? Keep flying alive eh.Et vive la France our nearest civilised country .Qu'elle me manque. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead-stick Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Spot on mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Beasley Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Personally i dont have an A cert but i still ask for advice from my local modellers. They are a great bunch and very helpful. I am a bmfa member and joined before i got my first aeroplane. I believe in being exceptionally careful when i fly and will never fly when some one is on the field such as a dog walker etc. I was up once when a walker strolled on to the field. Just kept high and waited while the safety marshall escorted her around us. careful to explain that i was a new pilot and we were being careful for every ones sake. Most clubs require an A cert even before you join. Avoid those ones and look for the friendly ones. Your local model shop will know the best ones to chat too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I have in front of me a copy of the BMFA handbook 2007 with the intention of genning up for the A cert. I am already stressed it is almost like genning up For the PPL exam.Free flying a Ripmax EP Spitfire at a remote flying location with Futaba 2.4 wondering how many people are free flyers?I have joined my local club,purchased a Boomerang 40 plus engine with the intent of training/ passing my A cert(when the rain stops). The thought of the flying test is very unpleasant, I just don't do exams getting the jitters just thinking about it. Oh well, just have to see what happens,waiting for a receiver from the states before I can fly the Boomer anyway.If you think my grammer/spelling is bad,I apologise and recognise my place as a lesser mortal:-)Kelvin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Hi Kelvin,I am hopeless with exams, and got very nervous too. I was lucky my examiner was very fair and put me at ease. The emphasis is on safety, a stat I read recently was that most exam failures are down to not having read the BMFA notes. I read through them twice and that was enough. Don't sweat it you will be fine. the questions are for example: "give two examples of when you should not fly?" and "where should you not fly?" they are fairly sensible really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Kelvin Assume you've got the current issue of the mag which has Andy Ellison A cert guide? Nerves are normal and probably a good sign - keep you on your toes. Your examiner should make allowances for nerves. Practice lots so you know you can do what is required, sounds silly I know. Remember - the examiner isn't trying to fail you! Good luckDavid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Hi David & Andy,Thankyou for your comments just finishing my Boomer waiting for the rain to stop.I have been adding a few odds and ends to my Ripmax Spit to give it a more realistic look(toy pilot as well) added some pics in the gallery. Planning on building a FW190 from some old plans I found out(Boomer engine will fit or shall I electify???).Thankyou again for your support.Regards kelvin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 By the way I am not in bondage gear in my members photo it is a Walkerjet Paramotor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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