September 2007

Bristol Radio Control
Model Aircraft Club
www.brcmac.org.uk
September 2007
Featuring in this issue:
Chairman's Chat
BMFA Nationals – One Woman's View
Photo Album
Your Club Needs You!

Table of Contents
Chairman's Chat...........................................................2
The BMFA Nationals 2007...........................................3
NOTICE BOARD..........................................................5
Photograph Album........................................................6
The Nats 2007..............................................................6
Your Club Needs You...................................................8
Chairman's Chat
Well, this is my penultimate chairman’s chat. I have been saying informally that I
shall not be standing for the committee at all this year and this is confirmation. I
have been on the committee for, I think eleven years, and my involvement has
become running the club and not improving my flying. Time to learn to fly again!
John Harris also has to stand down this year having completed three years as our
treasurer, so, it’s up to you, the membership, to find nominations for these key
positions as well as the rest of the committee. I would remind you….no
committee…..no club.
We have managed to get some work done on
the track to the field. scrapings from the road
at Almondsbury which were spread by the
Pierce brothers, a great improvement but we have
hopes of getting more scrapings when Gloucester Road
is re-surfaced which should improve things even further.
Our thanks must go to Claire Fardell for getting involved
and for putting some pressure on to South Glos.
Highways Dept.
On the 28 th . September we have our dinner at the
Ship Hotel (details in the last news letter) at the
moment we are a very select group so get in
touch with Chris Owen or any committee member to
reserve you place.
If it’s as good as last year we will do well.
hope we now get some good weather to fly us into
Ithe Winter programme.
John.
rateful thanks go to all
Gcontributors.
As always if you have any
questions, please just ask
either down at the strip, or at
the following address; any and
all contributions for the
newsletter are always more
than welcome.
Post:
BRCMAC Secretary, c/o
Linsey Giles.
6 Canterbury Close, Yate,
Bristol, BS37 5TJ.
tel : 01454 329684
email: secretary@brcmac.org.uk
Cover picture – Free Flight at the Nats by Linsey Giles
Page 2 of 8

The BMFA Nationals 2007
s I’ve only ever seen half completed RC models in the garage, never in the air I
had no idea what I’d actually let myself in for and was slightly sceptical that I
was going to get anything more out of the weekend than a bit of relaxation and a
tan! How wrong could I be! AWe headed up to Lincolnshire on the Wednesday to pitch our tent and help set up the
campsite. Arriving on an active RAF base with very few facilities did little to reassure me
that I’d made a wise decision in agreeing to come to the event. The following 24 hours was
to be a whirlwind of cups of tea, cakes, barbequed food and the men folk (John Paton and
Linsey Giles from our camp) disappearing off to do ‘manly things’ with water pipes and
shower blokes (allegedly!)
Friday bought the arrival of several hundred other model aircraft enthusiasts and the quiet
RAF base turned into a sea of caravans, camper vans and tents as far as the eye could see. I
had no idea that there were this many people that were interested in model aircraft! Within
half an hour of the campers being allowed on site, the first control line air-plane was up and
running, sounding something like a wasp it was a noise that would continue for the rest of
the weekend.
Saturday arrived and
the full flight
programme began
(the control line was
going before we had
even emerged from
our sleeping bags!)
After a gentle stroll
around the site, which
is so large many
people choose to
drive around it,
looking at the pylon
racing (RC planes
being raced around a
Mick Henderson's Airco DH9.
series of pylons),
control line (planes being controlled by the pilot on a couple of lengths of steel wire),
helicopters, acrobatics, show line and scale line I began to get an idea of how popular and
varied this hobby is. The next two days were filled predominately with watching the scale
line, the show line and the control line. There were also plenty of traders (with the odd one
or two craft stalls thrown in for good measure) selling all the kit needed to make and run
these planes. With daily fly pasts by full size planes, there was plenty of things to watch and
do.
Page 3 of 8

Whilst the skill of the flying on the show line was impressive, with turbine engines
being used in the faster jet planes and the speed of the GB Pylon Racing team
managing not to crash into each other, the time and energy (not mentioning
money) that had gone into creating the scale planes with an amazing attention to detail was
stunning. The coordination of the team pilots and pit crew on the team control line racing
was interesting to watch as well – the speed on this improved over the weekend – come the
Monday morning the planes were being refuelled whilst being started back up to start flying
again (the final race was 200 laps!!).
All did not go quiet once the sun had begun to drop in the sky. In the early evening the
campers headed up to the runway for a spot of free flight. Compared to the polished
performances of those on the flight lines during the day this was an opportunity for those
will uncontrollable planes to try them out and generally cause mayhem! As a spectator the
aim seemed to be not to get hit by anything and by anything I don’t just mean planes – there
were flying saucers, flying sticks and rockets! After the sun had finally set and tea had been
cooked (or flambééd in Mr Paton’s case!) and eaten we headed up to the hanger, which had
been transformed into a bar and two flying areas. The first of the two flying areas we
headed into, to try out
our BMFA darts. Again
you had to avoid being
hit by planes coming at
you from every direction,
a selection of free flight
planes, very small
helicopters, small RC
planes and an RC dragon
fly. My dart was quite
successful, but did
develop a desire to
escape and managed to
fly out of one of the
doors, causing its flying
days to end.
On Monday the camp site began to empty, the finals on most of the flight lines being
completed, presentations taking place and the crowds from the weekend having thinned it
was time for the dismantling of the site to start. Again the men folk disappeared to start the
work – the site had to be clear ready for the RAF to take it back on Tuesday morning.
We headed home on Tuesday. My previous thoughts had (fortunately!) been proven
unfounded. I’d had a very good weekend and enjoyed the planes as well as the sun.
Although I still have no desire to fly the planes, I’ve been inspired by the scale planes to
start building myself – I’m starting off small, the Jimny Cricket, the next one up from the
dart, but will move onto something bigger shortly. It was a great opportunity to see all
different types of flying and planes in one place and enjoy a weekend away from home – so
much so I’ve already agreed to go again next year!!
Lorraine
Page 4 of 8

NOTICE BOARD
Forthcoming events for the Winter
Programme at the Chantry:
Tuesday 2nd October
- Bring and Buy Sale.
Tuesday 6th November
- Indoor Fly Event
Should be an electric evening!
Just bear in mind the size of
the meeting room at the
Chantry!!
Tuesday 4th December
- A.G.M. (See back page)
Hints and Tips,
or “How to teach Grandma to suck eggs”
When running through your pre-flight checks, as you extend
your aerial, give it a bit of a tug – just to make sure it's still
connected to the transmitter! I didn't and now face a major
rebuild of what was a brand new model (sob).
Anyone else got any model saving tips
Page 5 of 8

Photograph Album
The Nats 2007
All Nats 2007
photos kindly
supplied by Linsey
Let's see, gently back on the stick and.........
A close up of the tail gun on
Mick Henderson's DH9
Where'd it go now
Martin's final approach
Page 6 of 8

Time to make up your own caption at Martin's expense!!
Take me back to the Black Hills –
Geddit
All dolled up and nowhere to go
End of a perfect day
Page 7 of 8

Your Club Needs You
Just a quick reminder everyone.
As John has mentioned in his Chairman's Chat, this
year at the AGM, nominations will be invited for the
posts of Chairman and Treasurer. Is there anyone in
the Club that you know who would be willing to do
his or her bit Possibly you No committee would
mean no Club!
Please submit any nominations to the existing
committee sufficiently in advance of the AGM.
Page 8 of 8