Okehampton Model Flying Club
News Letter Winter 2012/2013
Hello flyers!
Welcome to the first newsletter of the OKMFC.
The club had a successful AGM in November with 13 members and 4 proposed members attending.
The new line up for the committee this year is as follows:
Chairman Andrew Bourne 01837 53784
Treasurer Dennis Russel 01837 53095
Secretary Nigel Norkett 01363 772241
Member Michael Robinson 01237 476914
Member Ken Hooper 01837 82833
Your Club Needs You!!
We held our first in door flying session at the Parklands Leisure Center in Okehampton on November 18th.
The Sessions are from 14:00 to 17:00, there is free parking and all are welcome. The hiring of the hall is not cheap so we need members to support this so that we can break even. If you know any non-members who may be interested please invite them along. The fee for flying is £5, spectators are free. There are no rules, just be sensible, flyers just give respect to who ever is there on the day.
The remaining sessions for this winter are:
Dec 9th 2012
Jan 20th 2013
Feb 17th 2013
March 17th 2013
Welcome new members
The club would like to warmly welcome the flyers who have joined the club in 2012. They bring to the club a great deal of experience and expertise which we are sure they will want to share.
If any new members would like to make OKMFC their ‘lead’ club then please let the secretary know (Nigel) and he will make it so.
New Years Resolution
Should the club be working towards members improving flying skills and achieving BMFA achievement certificates? In 2012 silent flight, that is ‘Thermal’, ‘Slope’ and ‘Electric’ are particularly under represented nationally. The BMFA have a responsibility to improve the safety of model flying under their remit from the Civil Aviation Authority. Let us all strive to get this moving in 2013.
Membership Fees 2013
At the AGM the club membership fee was raised to £20. This price increase is to go towards the running of the new Bow Flying Site.
The fees are as follows (Please make cheques payable to:
OKEHAMPTON MODEL FLYING CLUB
Club
Senior Flyer £20 (BMFA Membership is required)
Junior ‘Free’
Adult Social £20 (No BMFA Membership required)
BMFA
Senior £32
Junior £17
Family Senior £32
Family Partner £21
Family Junior £13
Please send or otherwise get your subs to Dennis the treasurer ASAP. You are not insured in 2013 until the club has received your payment.
Flying Sites Report
Bow
The Bow site at Broadnymett has been well attended during the season. As we all know the weathers been poor but up to mid November the site was accessible. It is probably now too wet to drive to the site along the access track. Les Entwistle has secured this site for the club and He has become our unofficial ‘Flying Sites Officer’ acquiring good flying sites for 2011 and 2012. The club is indebted to him for these services. There is now a suggested layout for flying at the site to improve safety. Please have a look and make suggestions to improve the layout. The strip was regularly cut ‘under contract’ during the season and again was still in good shape up to mid November. We look forward to using the site in 2013, but as always members should remember we are the guests of the land owner and should not do anything that may jeopardise our continued use of the site.
Hatherleigh Moor
Hatherleigh Moor is now only used for silent flight activity. We have maintained our relationship with the management committee. This site is an open access area so we must be very mindful of public safety. Fortunately the site is not used that often and even when it was our only site we got more trouble from the sheep than the public. The site is a gentle SW slope ideal for electric gliders and can be very rewarding on a good day! There are also great views of Dartmoor.
Okehampton Sports Hall
Despite the wet weather the access track remains nice and firm and the strip remains bowling green smooth. The nets retain their magnetism for this winter. The only thermals to mention come from the movement detect lights that come occasionally when you fly near them. Wind may occur, but that depends on how many beers were consumed the night before.
That’s all for now folks. If you have anything you think may be of interest to other flyers please forward it to Nigel for inclusion in the next news letter. Nigel Norkett Club Sec.