Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I would like to take this opportunity on Christmas Eve to wish all our club members and our wider readership a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The Committee would also like to thank all our members for their continued support during a very challenging year. I do hope that tonight Santa delivers the model glider of your dreams. We are all looking forward to the coming year and hopefully better weather conditions for slope soaring and I do hope to meet up with many of you during the next few weeks. All the very best to you and your families.

It's Renewal Time Again

 Hi Everyone,

It's that time of year again when we all have to renew our various memberships.

For us , we have to renew the BMFA , the CAA and the Club subscription.

The BMFA and CAA are done online now through the Azolve system (Go membership system) and it's really simple whereby you pay online with a card.

The club subs are renewed via the club bank account and the details can be found on the recent renewal reminder  email from the club secretary to each member.

The Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members for their support and loyalty throughout the last year and look forward to a better year coming up.

Best regards

Rob Stanley

3 SAS Wildthings go Wild at Itford Hill

Another spontaneous decision to join up with Mark J and Kevin M at Itford Hill this morning. I arrived at the layby around 10 and commenced the long walk up the slope. Mark J was well ahead of me, and we both met up with Kevin M who was hiding in the bushes trying to keep dry as a rather large rain shower passed overhead. Conditions were very good with excellent visibility and a good winds, but it was cold. 

Flying started well but Kevin’s Wildthing seemed very twitchy in the conditions. It was decided to remove some weight that was added last time his model flew. The results of this worked well and a little re-trimming did the job. Kevin continues to improve, and he achieved considerable stick time today. One of his landings resulted in a loose fin, reminded me of one of my landings last week. I continued to practice circuits and landings, happy to either go left or right now. Landings still need more practice. 

Mark J was happy giving both of us guidance and instruction which was really appreciated. The highlight of the day was without doubt Mark J performing a “touch and go” followed by hand catching his model. If I wasn’t there, I would not have believed it happened. We spend a good hour and a half before being joined by a chap with his Peregrine Falcon using and EDF powered wing to exercise the bird. After another few launches, we decided that it was getting a little cold and went home.

In Sum, a successful day with Kevin improving greatly, me getting some circuits and landing practice in and Mark trying to get the both of us to fly better, which I do believe he did. Thanks, Mark, for your efforts today.