Vice President: Theo Merrifield, 25 Jecks St, Rockingham WA 6168

Secretary: Ivan Chiselett, 1 Watson Ave, Mont Albert Nth Vic 3129

Technical Sec. Fred Adler 18 Ivory St. Noranda WA. 6062

e-mail; maaatechsec@touch88.com.au>

MAAA Internet: http://www.maaa.asn.au

It is with regret that I advise that Leo O’Reilly M.A.A.A. Life Member and FAI Air Sports Medallist died on Monday 2^nd February, aged 72 years after a long battle with cancer.

Leo was extremely well known in the modelling world and held executive positions on many Associations including many years on the M.A.A.A. Council. He will be missed in our great sport. I am sure all members of the M.A.A.A. will join with me in extending our sympathies to Leo’s wife Clair and his sons, Michael and David.

As part of the M.A.A.A. Flight Proficiency scheme ratings such as Bronze Wings, Gold Wings and M.A.A.A. Instructor are awarded. The M.A.A.A. also appoints Heavy Model Inspectors, Gas Turbine Inspectors and FAI Observers. The Inspector appointments currently have a 3-year term. The FAI Observer appointment is until they are no longer members of the M.A.A.A.

As the name implies these ratings and appointments are M.A.A.A. ones and are carried by the individual irrespective of the club or state that they are members of. If you are awarded any of the ratings or appointments and change clubs or states you still hold that appointment or rating. For example, a person who was appointed a Heavy Model Inspector in WA and then moves to Queensland is still an M.A.A.A. Heavy Model Inspector and is authorised to inspect and issue permits to M.A.A.A. affiliate members in Queensland or any other state. Provided of course that he is still an affiliate member of the M.A.A.A. It should be noted that at the end of his three year appointment it is the state association that he is currently affiliated with that are responsible for renewing his appointment, not the state association that appointed him.

With respect to ratings awarded under the M.A.A.A. Flight Proficiency, if a person was appointed an M.A.A.A. Instructor in Victoria they retain that rating no matter which state association they affiliate to. The same applies to bronze and gold wings rating. It is your responsibility to retain the documentary evidence of these rating so that you can prove them if you change clubs.

The M.A.A.A. membership data base has provision to record the Flight Proficiency ratings but unfortunately some State Associations do not pas them onto me even after being requested.

There have been a few reports about children of members riding motorbikes on and in vicinity of the flying fields. I tend to consider that a flying field should be used for just that, flying model aircraft. A pilot does not need the added distraction of looking to see where a child is on a motorbike when they are flying or more particularly preparing for a landing. It also sends a bad message to others in that it is OK to ride motorbikes at the field. Before long you could have the situation of many kids on motorbikes tearing around the field.

The M.A.A.A. insurance policies are to cover members in the pursuit of model aviation activities, not other activities. I am not sure of the possible consequences for a club and its officials if a person was to be injured on a motorbike at the field and they took legal action against the club, but I am sure it is not good. I would not like to be in the club or on its executive should the problem arise.

I believe that a flying field is for flying model aircraft. If a child wants to ride a motorbike then they should do that at a motorbike club, not a flying club. However the final decisions are up to the club

Some members seem to think that once they have an M.A.A.A. Membership card that it entitles them to fly at any M.A.A.A. affiliated Club’s field. Wrong. All the M.A.A.A. card does is it indicates that you are an Affiliate Member of the M.A.A.A. That is, a member of a Club that is a member of a State Association that is a member of the M.A.A.A.

Most clubs allow M.A.A.A. Affiliates who are not members to fly at their Clubs but only AFTER they have obtained permission from the Executive of the Club. Many Clubs have rules specific to their location and visitors must be aware of, and comply with these Club Rules. A Club is quite entitled to refuse an M.A.A.A. Affiliate Member access to their field, it is the Club Member’s field and they control it, not the State Association or the M.A.A.A., it is the Club Members.

Many Clubs also have restrictions on the number of visits an M.A.A.A. Affiliate Members can make during one year. In general this is to ensure that those using the facilities contribute to the cost of running the facilities. I am aware of a few people in our association joining small country clubs with very low fees and then turning up at the big clubs with the good facilities and flashing their M.A.A.A. card and expecting to be able to fly as often as they like. Please think again, this is a sure fire way of getting a very bad name around the flying fields and Club Executives have every right in asking you to leave their facility. If you want to use good facilities you should contribute to them by joining the club.

I have had a report of a small R/C model aircraft being flown very close to a large metropolitan airport. From the description of the model it was quite possibly a "Park Flyer". The relevant State Association was asked to investigate but could not identify the persons involved. There was certainly no club in the area and the model was being flown form a public park.

As you are aware model should not be flown anywhere near an airport. If you should happen to see anyone with a model aircraft in the vicinity of an airport it would be beneficial to all that they be approached and the suggestion made that they go to a model club where they could get assistance and meet with people of like interests. Please do not get belligerent as diplomacy is generally the better method. People that fly Park Flyers are potential members and where possible we should be directing them towards our clubs. People who fly legally can also suffer if model aviation gets the reputation of being irresponsible

In 2004 we have teams representing Australia at the following world championships;

F2 - Control Line – USA ; F5B & C - Electric – UK ; F4C - Scale – Poland ;

F3J – Gliding - Canada

All the teams have been finalised and the members are hard at practicing for the big event. We wish them well at the world championships.

There is also an F3A Aerobatics Combined Asia Oceania Continental Championship being held at Coolum on the Queensland Sunshine coast July 15 to 24 this year. If you would like to see the best aerobatic flyers in the region then I suggest you make the effort to go to Coolum in July.

In 2005 the following world championships will be conducted;

F1A,B & C – Free Flight in Argentina ; F3A – Aerobatics in France ; F3B Thermal Soaring Gliders possibly in Finland (to be confirmed) ; F3D - Pylon Racing in France.

Team trials are conducted by the various Special Interest Groups to ensure that the best flyers make up the team. All M.A.A.A. Affiliate Members are entitled to try for a place on these teams. If you would like to participate in the team trials please contact the particular Special Interest Group. Their contact details are on the M.A.A.A. web site.

In 2003 two of our members have submitted claims for world records. Chris Callow of Queensland set the F3D Pylon Racing at the world championships and Ray Cooper of Victoria set a world and Australian altitude record for an electric powered aircraft. Congratulations to both pilots for their great effort.

Chris Callow’s time for the ten laps of the 400metres FAI pylon course was 57.7 seconds. To put this in perspective the aircraft fly quite a bit further each lap as they have to allow space to turn at each end of the course. So we are looking at well over 4 kilometres in less than a minute, very fast. It is interesting to note that this world record time is not quite as fast as his Australian record of 57.67 seconds that he held at the time of the world champs.

Ray Cooper’s 3.288 metre span model climbed to an altitude of 2573metres. In only 12 minutes. A pretty fair climb rate for an aircraft with a 4.3 Kg mass.

On the Australian Record scene John Walker of NSW set an Australian record of 12.45secs (232.7kph) for C.L. Speed – Sports Jet at the SA State Championships. Not resting on his laurels for very long Chris Callow has bettered his Australian and world record with a 56.96 seconds time for the F3D Pylon course at the Queensland State Champs. This new time cannot be recognised as a world record for F3D as world records can only be set at World and Continental Championships.

Hugh Simons, junior member, of NSW also set an Australian record of 12.34 seconds (291.7 kph) for F2A Speed lowering his old record of 12.53 seconds.

Congratulations to all of the record setters, well done.