The Fun Fly Day organised by Tony Gyoles last Sunday was changed from 3 rounds of different fun manoeuvres relevant to bronze & silver/gold wing pilots to an even simpler format of a timed 2 minute flight from Wheels Up to Wheels Down.
There were 7 enthusiastic pilots vying for the glory of an impromptu mini Craig Coleman & one very reluctant Nicco who had to be dragged down to the start line.
Final results were
First – NICCO!!! at 1:59 minutes – proving you gotta be in to win it!! Second – Roly at 2:04 minutes Third – Rob Sargeant at 1:51 minutes (bonus of 15 seconds for the spot landing)
Thanks to Tony Gyoles for the original program & Rob Sargeant for rallying the pilots.
I believe another mystery flight comp might be on offer sometime soon.
This is a great time to enjoy the 3 F’s and TCMAC members certainly are doing just that. The regular Wednesday breakfast crew were today joined by their wives for an awesome brekky at The Ripe Tomato and Tiff & her girls did a splendid job on providing the perfect breakfast and venue to enjoy a lazy Wednesday morning.
Of course breakfast is usually followed by some enthusiastic flying out at TCMAC, with the great weather ensuring excellent flying conditions.
If you are stuck thinking of what to do, why not enjoy the days by coming out to the club and meeting up with some mates for a fly, remember the field is open and available 7 days a week.
A Great Christmas function was held at the club on Saturday 18th. A fine meal was prepared by the Chef de Jour – Andy Gordon and delightfully consumed by the attendees.
MENU:
ENTRE: -Noodle Laka Soup with Prawn & Squid
MAIN COURSE – Ham Roulet with fried rice and Chinese vegetables in Oyster Sauce
DESERT – Christmas Cake & Custard
Tea & Coffee
bsh
Club Raffle
Sufficient raffle Tickets were purchased on the night to proceed with the drawing of the Clamato that had been donated by Cooper Inskip. (A previous club member who was relocated to attend University) I am pleased to announce that the winner was Ray Chapman. He was excited to be advised of his win as in his own words “I have never won a thing in my life”. Congratulations Ray, your win was well deserved.
We hope to see you all enjoying the clubs facilities over the Christmas break
A windy day greeted the Glider Pilots on Saturday and even though we were low on numbers, those that attended had a good time with some excellent thermal activity in the morning. Charlie set up his winch and Rob Hullet had his tow plane ready.
As not many pilots attended, no formal competition took place. I had a go on the winch, but with the wind changing direction regularly, winch operations were stopped and there were no takers for the aero tow.
Alwyn and Eric cooked up a nice sausage sizzle lunch which was very much appreciated by all those members in attendance.
We have another glider day scheduled for January 15th (see the TCMAC Calendar for details) and we hope more members will take the opportunity to join in.
Fun Fly
Lovely weather was provided for this event on Sunday. There were 17 entries and, being a “Fun Fly” the activities were not based on flying ability, entrants and spectators had an enjoyable time.
There were a number of prizes provided by Albury RC Models (Our Sponsor) and Tony Gyoles.
Terry Hubbard won the main prize. This was awarded to the person who completed their manoeuvres as close as possible to the mystery time provided by a spectator.
There were other prizes awarded based on pilots names drawn from a hat followed by a roll of the dice.
Thank you Tony Gyoles for organising such a wonderful event
If you missed out on this event, we have another Fun Fly scheduled for January 16th (see the TCMAC Calendar for details) where more fun and frivolity will be had.
Dear friends,I have been privileged to be a member of TCMAC for the past 10 years. During this time I have made many excellent friends which is so important and an integral part of belonging to a club.
I have learned a lot and been able to pass on some of this knowledge to others.
We at TCMAC have an awesome club with amazing facilities which I have always made the most of.As some of you may know, we are moving to Victor Harbor in SA.
I will be joining the Noarlunga Model Aerosport club.Thank you all for the good times and excellent flying.
Best regards,Mike
All at TCMAC wish Mike the best and we hope to see you again.
A reminder from our State Heavy Model Inspector, Mr David Law regarding the building of heavy models. There are guidelines provided by the MAAA MOP but there are also other considerations you need to understand and ensure a successful outcome.
The notification intent is to provide some guidance and considerations if you venture into the area of heavy models Please click on the link below to review:
The VMAA HMI Listing has been updated after the successful audit conducted over the past two months. The list contains HMI that are prepared to conduct an inspection and ensure your aircraft is airworthy and meets the criteria of a Heavy Model.
The TCMAC website also has a list of TCMAC members who hold Heavy Model Inspector accreditation which can be found under the Resources TAB on the Home page.
After many false starts, the TCMAC Seaplanes event finally happened. Over the past few years this event has been challenged by lack of water at the Tabletop Reserve and, of course, Covid.
The weather for the weekend did not look promising with an 80% chance of up to 15mm of rain forecast. For this reason the planning and promotion was kept to a minimum.
Friday started off fine with a few pilots enjoying fairly good weather up until around 2.30PM when the weather changed. Saturday saw challenging conditions with whitecaps on the water and a few unfortunate incidents mainly due to the weather conditions. A fierce storm blew up on Saturday evening.
Things fortunately changed for the better on Sunday. The weather was perfect and the weir was very calm and the water was smooth all day. Some light cloud cover toned down the heat and the conditions were very pleasant.
Thank you to those who contributed to the weekend and we can only hope for a bigger and better event next year
A small but enthusiastic group attended the first TCMAC Twilight Flying event, It was good to see some unfamiliar faces – those who work in retail on the weekend.
Hope to see more in attendance at the next event on the 19th of November.
Today saw two new recipients receive their wings from President Alwyn in front of many TCMAC members.
First up was Mike Guiness to receive his
GOLD WINGS.
Well done Mike, its great to see you achieve your gold wings, TCMAC will miss you when you leave for South Australia but we hope you keep in contact and visit us whenever you are around.
New Member Phil Mitchell was awarded his
SILVER WINGS as well today.
Phil is new to TCMAC but has fitted into the club well and is a Sunday regular, welcome and well done Phil.
Congratulations to both guys on your achievements.
Once again, thanks to the hard work of Rod McRae, TCMAC has been given permission to fly float planes at Table Top Reserve each Saturday throughout the Daylight Savings period from 2nd October 2021 to 2nd April 2022 between the hours of 3pm and dusk.
All the usual rules and conditions apply and a copy of the licence is available on our forms section of the website. It is recommended that you print out a copy and have it on hand when flying in case you are challenged.
The club boat has a new motor being fitted and should be ready to go from this weekend. The key to Table Top Reserve together with the club padlock is again in the Clubhouse at TCMAC. Please lock the two padlocks together when you are there so any other TCMAC members arriving can enter the area.
The Weir is currently 98% full so finding the water will not be a problem this year, but be aware the water is up to the edge of the trees at the reserve so caution should be observed when flying.
Although numbers were down compared to last year, it was good to see many members and visitors enjoying the fine weather while flying and observing at the event.
The 2021 winner was Peter Graeber with his SE5A. Congratulations for your efforts in producing such a fine model.
With the awesome flying weather on the day some spectacular flying took place.
More pictures have been taken and will appear soon.
Congratulations to other entrants on a job well done.
Thank you to Dave Tulk and his mowing team in having the field looking in top condition. Thanks to Andy Gordon for the delicious Pork and Rice dish to complement the usual sausages and hamburgers.
With the Classic Event now “Done and Dusted” we can look forward to our next major fundraiser the Seaplane event (Dave Tulk is unsure how he will mow the runway for the event), scheduled for November 6th & 7th (just 3 weeks away). Let’s hope that the weather gods (and State Premiers & Chief Health Officers)are kind to us and we have a great turnout.
OK so we are in lockdown AGAIN in Albury and unfortunately our Victorian members are unable to travel to the model field to fly as a result. We all feel the pain.
So what do we do now??
Well, with spring now firmly here and Daylight Savingsjust 16 days away, most aeromodellers thoughts turn to dusting off the planes and getting out to the field but beware, a model that has sat for a number of months may need a little TLC before hitting the sky.
A quick list of things that all modellers should do, before flying, after lockdown and the winter break is listed below.
CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES FULLY, if using Lipo batteries, do a full balance charge and check the condition of the batteries, if using NiMH then consider running a cycle charge (I recommend at least 2 or 3 cycles) to ensure that they are fully charged. Don’t forget to charge the transmitter as well.
CHECK YOUR FUEL, if it has sat for a while you might consider using it in the mower and getting fresh fuel for the model. Run your motor and check that you are getting a good idle and full power when required.
DO A RANGE CHECK, it is always good practice to do a range check if you have not used a model for a while. Maybe even consider re binding your receiver.
CHECK YOUR FAILSAFE, ensure that your failsafe still works, the last thing that you want is a fly away on full power.
RUN OVER ALL BOLTS,just check all nuts and bolts that are on the model, ensure they are all tight. Check all of the control linkages and clevises to make sure they are fitted and locked on.
CHECK ALL CONTROL MOVEMENTS, just test all controls and ensure they are all free and full and working in the correct way.
And finallyDO A VISUAL CHECK,run your eye over the airframe, look for unusual twists or anything sticking out at an odd angle, check the covering that it is all taught and without holes or rips, make sure the motor mounts are tight, the propellor is not damaged and that it all looks right.
Carry out a detailed inspection on all of your models before heading to the field so you know everything is good to go whichever model you grab to fly.
If you are unsure about anything you find, call another club member, all members are very willing to assist.
Following these basic checks will help to ensure that you don’t have a frustrating start to the flying season and that you enjoy your hobby more.
Let’s all hope that we can be back at the airfield soon and continue to enjoy our great hobby.
PLEASE NOTE: Not all DLE engines are subject to the recall and you will need to verify your serial number with your supplier to determine what action needs to be taken.
Ken has been a member at TCMAC since the early 70’s and is still a regular flyer.
Unfortunately due to the current restrictions, we are unable to enjoy a fly alongside Ken on his usual flying day on Sunday but, if you have a spare moment, think about giving Ken a call and wishing him all the best.
I am sure he will be enjoying his day alongside Essie who no doubt would have baked him a great cake.
Well unfortunately the NSW members have now joined our Vic members in being unable to fly due to a statewide lockdown. We all hope that this does not last longer than the advised 7 days but, as one wise man once said, the hardest part of a 7 day lockdown is the first 14 days. Time will tell when the restrictions are lifted.
Despite our Victorian members enjoying the freedom of normality, due to the rules around the NSW statewide lockdown, the Committee has taken the only decision that they could and closed the airfield to all members.
Parker Field CLOSED until further notice
No, none of us like this, and some may consider what we do fits within the definition of “exercise” and therefore is allowed, but as a responsible community group, the committee thought it was the best option to take this action.
People travelling (even Victorians) within NSW are governed by the NSW Lockdown Restrictions, and if caught without a legitimate reason for their travel will be fined accordingly, and we don’t want any members to be put into that situation.
We did have a situation on Sunday where a model was seen and heard flying at our club in contravention to the advice issued on Saturday afternoon, by the Club President, that the airfield was closed. A couple of our members live close to the airfield and let the President know of the situation. This means, that if it happens again, you will be caught and possibly face disciplinary action from the club. This is another thing that we hope doesn’t need to happen.
The advice was sent out via our email system attached to the club website database. We try to keep emails to a minimum so, when we send an email, it is an important issue. Please do not delete it without, at the very least, scanning it to see what it is all about. If you are not receiving club emails, please check your junk/spam folder in your email system and, if they are ending up there, just add the contact details and they will go to your inbox in the future.
We will keep you informed of any changes but, in the mean time, get building or repairing. Daylight Savings is only 7 weeks away and, with it, the perfect flying weather that we all enjoy. Now is a good time to do the all important pre season checks on all of your models.
Let me take the opportunity to introduce myself; my name is Tim Nolan, and I have recently been elected as the President of our MAAA.
I have created a short video to put a face to the person. The video outlines some of the thoughts and changes that we are looking to introduce to our MAAA.
Over the next few weeks, you will start to see a survey and other messages seeking your input into how we can ensure our MAAA can grow and flourish into the future.
Hoping there is some good flying happening in spite of the challenges that Covid presents.
See you at the field.
Tim Nolan President Model Aeronautical Association of Australia Inc M: +61 0412 173 440 E: president@maaa.asn.au
Congratulations goes to Neil Baker on passing his Gold Wings for Multi Rotor. Neil has been flying his multi rotors for some time now and has provided us with some amazing footage of members flying with his great air to air shots. A lot of Neils works can be seen on the Video page on the club website.
Rob Sargent and I travelled to Shepparton last weekend to compete in the Victorian Flying Scale Aircraft Associations’ (VFSAA) State Championships. The event is held annually, usually over the Queens Birthday long weekend, but was postponed due to Victoria’s recent lockdown. As a result of the change of date, the entry list was down somewhat on recent years, but there were 10 entries over the 3 categories of F4C, F4H and Flying only.
The weather on Saturday was overcast with patchy clear skies but only very light winds with occasional gusts. It was however rather cold as you would expect for this time of year.
I was entered into Flying Only as I only had an ARF model ready to compete with, and this category is perfect for a newbie like myself to try competition flying. Well, I say competition flying but really the whole atmosphere is so relaxed and inviting that you don’t really feel like you are competing rather, you are just doing some flying with some new friends.
The Flying Only group (6 in total) started off first with 2 back-to-back rounds. I was the last to fly which allowed me to observe the others and see what was required. When my first fly arrived, I strode to the Flight Line full of confidence, looked at the judges and went straight to water. My 2 judges were both World Champions in Noel Finlayson and Noel Whitehead, no pressure. Rob was my caller and just reminded me that this was the same routine that I have been practicing and was no different to when we did it back at TCMAC.
Off we went and, 10 minutes later, I found myself taxiing back in with the round completed, I was still alive, the plane was in 1 piece, and the judges were happy and encouraging. Job done.
Rob’s group was next and I called for him, followed by the remaining rounds for all of the groups, 3 in total for the day.
Saturday evening saw the whole group have a meal and chat at a Hotel in Shepparton where I got to know everyone better. I was very impressed with the comraderie of the whole group and their desire to make me feel welcome and a part of it. I also received some great advice and encouragement from the judges about my flying and was determined to improve on the Sunday.
On Sunday morning we arrived back at the airfield to find drizzly rain and a cloud base of about 50ft, it didn’t look promising for a start. After several cups of coffee (the muffins were awesome too) and more advice sought and given, the clouds lifted, and we got under way with 1 additional round for each group to finish off the weekend. I concentrated hard to show the judges that I was listening to what they had to say, and I again improved, actually my scores improved with each round over the course of the event, which pleased me.
Hands were shook, backs were patted, and presentations made and, I don’t know how it happened, but I came 3rd in my group which was then elevated to 2nd as there was a tie for 1st and joint winners announced. Rob also came 1st in his group, so TCMAC has a new State Champion and a runner up within their ranks.
Overall the weekend was huge fun and I can only thoroughly recommend to EVERYONE to give it a go. You don’t need to be a Master Builder (a Scale ARF will do) and you don’t need to be a World Champion Class pilot, all you need to do is try it out.
The next VFSAA event is on August 29th at Bendigo and is a one-day event. Rob and I are planning to attend, so come along with us, I guarantee you will have a great time. I am happy to help anyone who wants to put a routine together and will gladly practice with you.
