Meetings and Minutes

We at the Chesterfield and District Soarers are mourning the loss of one of our real characters who will be sorely missed at the field and at club meetings. Eric Barfoot served in the RAF in the canal zone in the 1950′s servicing Lincoln Bombers. He set up a building business with his brother on demob and was a true multi skilled bricklayer, joiner, digger driver and much more. He started hang gliding when it was in it’s infancy in this country with a 1st generation Wasp 229 and progressed up to the latest gliders until a wind gust caused him to crash on landing. He recovered but had steel splints in his wrist which stopped him carrying his glider up the hill, plus the fact that he realized age was not on his side. He did not stop flying though and built several microlights and regularly got up at 4am and flew from Chesterfield to the Humber Bridge and back before going to work. The cost of his hangar space and use of the airfield sadly ended in him selling his prized Ranz fixed wing Rotax powered plane. So he came to us and started building and flying model gliders both thermal and slope, then progressing to electric models. He was an ultra careful flier and very thorough with his pre-flight checks because he said it was if he was going to fly in it. Over the last few years, his health deteriorated but he remained cheerful and had a wicked sense of humour, woe betide anyone who made a duff landing or any other slip up. I as Chairman and instructor got special attention. Our club are attempting to do a 100 mile relay with a variety of electric models round a closed circuit in his memory in aid of our local Air Ambulance. His ashes are to be dropped from a friends microlight somewhere in Derbyshire where he learned to fly.

Peter Barnett Chairman and close friend

The deletion of the Clubman Rules from the 2012 Rule Book has led
to an unintended consequential change in the application of Flying
Only scores.

Rule 6.13.1 (Page 19 of the 2012 Rule Book) now cross refers to the
FAI Class F4C Rules. In F4C only the best flight counts regardless of
the number of rounds flown whereas for Flying Only (and the new
Standoff Class) the scores of the Best 2 flights should be added
together.

So, if only 2 rounds are flown then both flights will count. This
corrected rule will be applied throughout this season.

The Royal Aero Club Trust (RAeCT) has today announced the award of a £500 bursary to help develop the flying ambition of young people within aeromodelling

Adam Lomax, 16, of the Great Britain Radio Control Aerobatics Association (GBRCAA), was awarded £500.

Bursaries of this type, which are part of the Trust’s ‘Flying for Youth’ (FfY) program, are awarded annually to UK residents aged between 16 and 21and fall into two categories:

1. Flying Bursaries/Grants for those wishing to advance from one recognised level of air sport to the next higher level and wish to upgrade their existing qualifications;
2. FlightSim Bursaries/Grants for Computer Flight Simulation enthusiasts wishing to gain practical experience of flying or an air sport.

The scheme and the bursaries cover a huge variety of air sports and aviation-related activities including: paragliding, gliding, hang-gliding, parachuting, microlight aircraft, helicopter, fixed wing aircraft and the designing, building and flying model aeroplanes.

“I am delighted to have been chosen to receive this prestigious bursary,” says Adam. “The award will support and develop my skills as an aeromodeller. I can’t wait to get started on working towards achieving my flying goal.”

“2012 has seen the Royal Aero Club Trust award more bursaries than ever before which shows a great commitment to develop from the youth participants in UK air sports,” says David Bills, bursary administrator at the RAeCT. “In this Olympic year it is so encouraging to see the next generation of supporters entering into, and developing as part of, the aeromodelling community. Every year we take great pride in following their progress and achievements closely and we wish them the very best success.”

Those interested in applying for bursaries for 2013 should visit http://www.royalaeroclubtrust.org/bursaries.html where information will be available from September 2012.

REEMAN IVAN REGINALD of Lowestoft, Suffolk – passed away suddenly at James Paget University Hospital on 12th April, aged 77 years. The funeral service took place at Lowestoft Cemetary Chapel on Monday April 30th 2012. 1951 is the year Ivan was producing flyable models, he was now 16 years old and had built a Juggler, a Focke Wulfe, and Spitfire C/L Models, and also a Veron Cardinal with a Mig 15 F/F Models. He was a really good builder for his age. He then joined the RAF and later became a teacher in civilian life. Ivan and his wife Yvonne ran a model business, they were mobile and visited model meetings and aviation flying days around East Anglia. Ivan could tell some tales about these, including chasing and catching a theif who stole from their stand, there were hidden depths in Ivan. in 1998 Ivan was a member of the Chet Valley club of which he became treasurer. In 2003 Ivan and Yvonne were founder members of Langley club as it is now and Ivan became treasurer. Although Ivan had a serious air about him he was very enthusiastic and joined in everything he possibly could, often giving me much needed advice. The future was electric models as he was too aware of what problems noise creates. Ivan also carried on the facilities for the Lowestoft & District Model Aeroplane Club at Ellough as well as being interested in model boats and the local history of Lowestoft. He brought along the Radius vintage model to a club night to show the club members although it was obvious he was very ill and could hardly talk. Finally on our annual public display on 25th March 2012 he insisted on helping to put out the safety barrier posts and tapes even though he could hardly stand. That was the last time we saw him.

J Johnson and A James – Langley Model Squadron

The CL Aerobatics Centralised competition scheduled for 13th May has been cancelled because of lack of entries.