Registering...

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Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Registering...

Post by Stew »

Hi all.

Although a paid up BMFA member, and a member of my local model flying club, I've been out of the loop for a bit and busy doing a bit of reading about these new rules that are coming in.

I would guess most of you will be registering in October? Does anyone have any clues what the online test will involve? I'm sure it will be fairly basic.
I'm not that bothered about the £16.50 fee for registering, but I'm sure it will rise...
I do worry about the eventuality of having to carry some kind of on-board transponder.

I guess it's a small price to pay to keep enjoying the hobby?
jackdaw
Posts: 165
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 20:30
Location: Wet and Windy North Wales

Re: Registering...

Post by jackdaw »

No, I'm not registering. I intend to do a waiting game until spring/summer 2020 to see how things pan out. I object to this on many levels: demonising a pastime that has an unparalleled safety record, a pointless exercise that will do nothing to address the issues it purports to, volunteering to go on a suspects list and paying for the privilege, paying to effectively subsidise large wealthy organisations. Add to this the fact that the regs as they are at the moment will place 99.9% of all model club planes in C4 category meaning they will only be able to be flow in A3 site locations/airspace(chart and link to CAP 1789 in other thread). Due to this many clubs will have to cease as their sites will not conform. How this will affect fly-ins and shows I hazard to think. Also, slope soaring from most sites will have to cease as they will not conform to A3 site/airspace. AFAIK there is a blanket 400ft AGL max height limit which means thermal soaring is over. Allowance could easily have been made for model clubs as we operate from a fixed location and utilise a vey limited amount of airspace about that location. Providing a GPS location for each club(800 approx.) and giving a small exclusion zone to each would have been a minor exercise. But no, instead we have draconian regulations and a money grab. IMO those that rush to register and pay will be hastening their own demise as in a few years I believe modellers will be squeezed out by increasing regulations, requirements and fee's.
Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Registering...

Post by Stew »

Hi Jackdaw, and thanks for your reply. I hadn't realised things were that bad.
I guess models under 250g are the way forward then? I have a good stock of competition balsa, but I don't think you could even do a simple RC Tomboy under 250g.
I'm used to full size aviation, so I'm familiar with aviation rules and regulations, a stupid as they are, but the new rules really do suck.
I have plan 'B' (vintage computers), and plan 'C' (model railways) as hobbies, as I saw this drone nastiness coming a mile off, but I still love Aeroplanes. How about we ignore the law and fly anyway? Rules are there for the obeyance of fools, and the guidance of wise men...
Where I fly, the plod would have to get out of their cars, and scale a barbed wire fence and cross half a mile of blasted heath, we all know that ain't happening anytime soon :lol:
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ozrs
Posts: 114
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 15:21
Location: West Australia

Re: Registering...

Post by ozrs »

Thomas Jefferson "If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."
Richard
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Carl
Posts: 267
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 13:26
Location: Way down in the South West
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Re: Registering...

Post by Carl »

Phil_G wrote: 03 Aug 2019, 18:58
Stew wrote: 03 Aug 2019, 18:11 I guess models under 250g are the way forward then? I have a good stock of competition balsa, but I don't think you could even do a simple RC Tomboy under 250g.
Sharkface, ready to fly, with rx, servo & 2s 800MaH lipo (flies fine on a 500mAh) = 206.5 grammes

And my Sharkface comes in just a little more at 220g AUW with battery. My KK Gipsy that is ready for covering comes in at 210g with everything (inc battery). Will covering add more than 40g? I was originally going to cover in Mylar then tissue for that traditional look and the Mylar making the covering more durable, but not sure if that approach will take it over 250g, so may just go for film covering only (but not decided). But this shows what's possible and still be below 250g. The KK Gipsy has a 40" wingspan. So a traditional stick 'n' tissue model can offer potential for a decent size model and still be within 250g. Just don't put a great big motor up front, as these really don't need a lot of power to fly ;)
Last edited by Carl on 03 Aug 2019, 21:12, edited 1 time in total.
Carl

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Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Registering...

Post by Stew »

Thanks for your replies guys, nice to see what can be done.
At heart I'm a rubber powered free flight guy, and I have no trouble staying under 250g, I can, if I want, build models from now until the day I die that perform well and give endless satisfaction, but there are so many wonderful models over that limit, it would be now criminal to fly them (without registering) but criminal NOT to fly them...
The people on this forum, Phil, Sean, Ron et al, have done so much (for so little) to promote good old fashioned tinkering, hacking, whatever you want to call it, for honest, practical and intelligent people, that these rules just seem so bloody unjust.
I think I will carry on as normal. If my club bans me for not obeying the new rules, then I'll fly on my bit of blasted heath, with the midges and the buried culled 'foot and mouth' cattle as company. If the Police want to come and arrest me, fine, fill your boots guys. Until then I'll just keep my head down and carry on.
You only live once. I'm not a Paedo, I'm flying model aeroplanes. Get over it.
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Carl
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Location: Way down in the South West
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Re: Registering...

Post by Carl »

Something else I have that'll be put together quite soon is a Mini WOT4. I took everything out of the box, but all the parts still bagged, and it weighs in at 221g. The only additional items required is a receiver and battery. So I'll use the smallest lightest receiver I can lay my hands on and it being 2S, using the smallest battery possible whilst maintaining the correct CG. Depending how much weight the packaging is adding, it may be possible to get it just under 250g - maybe 249.9g :D

My Hobbyking Ezio 800 comes in with an AUW of only 196.5g. It's a great flyer and I've had such fun slope soaring it and enjoying long glides after using the motor to gain height. This model only uses two micro servos - one for aileron and one for elevator - and can be both fast and responsive or slow and gentle.

I'm not suggesting buying these models, but it shows potential of what's possible. Maybe a look on Outerzone for plans of something more vintage, building light, not putting in motors more than required will allow for some very enjoyable flying.
Carl

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STILL LEARNING
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Stew
Posts: 495
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Registering...

Post by Stew »

I like that. It shows what can be done within the 'law', but will it stop me launching a free-flight Junior 60 every now and then with a sparkie up front, hell no. :D
Martin
Posts: 744
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 14:11
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Registering...

Post by Martin »

Carl wrote: 03 Aug 2019, 21:11 Something else I have that'll be put together quite soon is a Mini WOT4.
I saw a beautiful half-size one with a jewel of a mini-glow motor with throttle - I think it was a Thunder Tigre 07 or thereabouts. It flew absolutely great. I forgot the maker's name but he'd built it to bring to the RC Hotel in Corfu - when I was working there all summer. All the parts fitted in a custom container he'd made that qualified as 'carry on hand lugage' for flying.

The guy who built it had named it the "Where 2" :lol:
NeilMac
Posts: 165
Joined: 04 Feb 2019, 22:07
Location: Nth Somerset

Re: Registering...

Post by NeilMac »

Like Jackdaw I am going to sit this one out for a while and see what happens.

Site wise I have realised I have plenty of room to fly electric control line aircraft on our own land, and over on Middle Hope I can happily slope soar when the wind is right and not overfly anyone or anything... other than the occasional sheep. A third option is to use small DLG gliders, I already have a miniVick built up, I have no idea what it weighs but it ain't much.

Not too long ago my son came home to find the front door to his flat kicked in, he had a couple of laptops, a Garmin and an ipad stolen. Two coppers turned up and later a CSI and that was that. I recently heard a neighbour shooting an air rifle across two gardens at Magpies. I am a shooter myself so was not alarmed but knew just how many laws this clown had broken, I reported him via 101 and three days later a community copper dropped in to see me and then him, and that was that. Do I think the Police are going to be in the slightest bit interested in this law? I do not.
"I'm your huckleberry, that's just my game"
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