An Aero Modeller And Proud Of It!

[Greyhead]

It was with a mixture of amazement and amusement that I read the article in the December BMFA News that culminated in the plea to stop calling ourselves aero modellers because it “sends out the wrong message”.

Apparently we are now sportsmen (and women); when I launch my slope soarer I’m akin to a javelin thrower, aerobatics need the eye / hand co-ordination of a sword fencer and when we retrieve our models from the “rough stuff”, for what ever reason, we’re cross country runners. What a load of rubbish!!

It’s all to do with being recognised by “the powers that be”; well the “the powers that be” should recognise that hobbies are just as valid as sports and should support them as such, if more youngsters could be encouraged to take up aero modelling, or any hobby for that matter, they wouldn’t be hanging around street corners with “nothing to do” except vandalise the local area.

[Guest]

The PC brigade in this country want putting up against a wall and shooting. They have far too much time on thier hands with nothing useful to do other than spoil things for everyone else.

[Guest]

agreed ! PC GONE TOO FAR !

its madness the nutters are taking over the assylum, i am not a full time aeromodeller but am happy and proud to say i fly model planes ( i crash em too !)- TAKE A LOOK AT MY PHYSIQUE.... I AINT NO ATHELETE !

[Glider Guider]

From memory the powers that be in the BMFA decided that our hobby was a sport at about the same time as the SMAE was renamed the BMFA as ‘it better reflected the essence of aeromodelling today’ or some other torture speak. Call me reactionary if you like but I strongly disagreed with both of these ‘initiatives’ and I will never admit to participating in a sport when I take my model down the field, even if it’s a glider and I do a fair bit of running about (well more walking about these days). Also from memory the change from hobby to sport was made as it became easier to get grant money, but to me they sold their soul for a bag of gold.

There was a campaign to get ballroom dancing recognised as a sport and to get it into the Olympics, this didn’t happen (so some sanity remains somewhere); but now that we are officially sportsmen maybe we should campaign to get aeromodelling into the Olympics. I write this with my tongue firmly in my cheek, I say this so that no-one in the hierarchy of aeromodelling reads this and thinks ‘that’s a great idea – think of all the grant money we could get if we were Olympic sportsmen’.

[Guest]

So I wonder if this includes model boats.

Some of the guys at my club are the least likliest sportsmen you are ever likely to see!!!!! (Including myself!)

[wonwinglo]

There is more to this stupidity,the BMFA want to call it a 'sport' because that way grants are more easily obtained from people like the Sports Council,I think it is shameful that the BMFA have taken this stance,Aeromodelling will and always has been a great hobby and certainly NOT a sport,this is typical of the twaddle that comes from the BMFA these days,instead of tryng to change the name and status of Aeromodelling why not promote it for what it is ? what wrong message exactly are we putting out ? when I go flying down my local field I am proud to be an Aeromodeller,and certainly do not want in any way to be connected with a sportsman,the two things are entirely different.

The promotion of any hobby that uses your hands,brains,eyes has been under threat now for many years due to many other ready made distractions in the marketplace,moves such as this do not assist in any way,Sport is sport and Aeromodelling is exactly what it says modelling aeroplanes not chucking a javelin into space or kicking a football around.

The BMFA has some great historic roots ie the 'Society of Model Engineers' can you imagine the reactions of these great Aeromodellers of yesteryear who laid the roots if they were called sportsmen ? yuk,get real BMFA and come down to planet earth and serve the aeromodellers of today who are proud of this name.

[Guest]

There is more to this stupidity,the BMFA want to call it a 'sport' because that way grants are more easily obtained from people like the Sports Council,I think it is shameful that the BMFA have taken this stance,Aeromodelling will and always has been a great hobby and certainly NOT a sport,this is typical of the twaddle that comes from the BMFA these days,instead of tryng to change the name and status of Aeromodelling why not promote it for what it is ? what wrong message exactly are we putting out ? when I go flying down my local field I am proud to be an Aeromodeller,and certainly do not want in any way to be connected with a sportsman,the two things are entirely different.The promotion of any hobby that uses your hands,brains,eyes has been under threat now for many years due to many other ready made distractions in the marketplace,moves such as this do not assist in any way,Sport is sport and Aeromodelling is exactly what it says modelling aeroplanes not chucking a javelin into space or kicking a football around.

The BMFA has some great historic roots ie the 'Society of Model Engineers' can you imagine the reactions of these great Aeromodellers of yesteryear who laid the roots if they were called sportsmen ? yuk,get real BMFA and come down to planet earth and serve the aeromodellers of today who are proud of this name.

So apart from that then you are quite happy Barry?!!!!!!!

[Guest]

BMFA. The British Model Flying Association.

I am not of the same opinion as to say it is not a sport. Admittedly a one hundred yard sprint is not common in our field, neither is it common in the various forms of competitive boating. Not all boating is a sport or hobby, just as not all aircraft modelling is.

There are a lot of serious Model Flying Competitions Local, National, and International. That I consider serious sport. Remember many more sports people practise at whatever level they still can, not nessesarilly competitive, and enjoy it, although neither young or physically acrobatic, strong, or fast moving.

[Guest]

Agreed guys. My old man's into his flying and he was rolling around the floor laughing when I mentioned this. Like several of you have said on this thread it's (altogether now)......"POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAAAAAAAADDDD!" Hahaha.

IMHO, it's all because the people that decide what's what don't understand these things and they have to categorise (EVVVVVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE CATEGORISED APPARENTLY) the given article/activity into the next closest thing and in doing this they've made themselves look like a bunch of charlies!

[wonwinglo]

Just think of the possibilities here ?we could have these-

'The Sportsmans Radio Control Magazine'

'The Sportsmans guide to Aeromodelling'

'How to be a good Sportsman on the model flying field'

'From Cricket bat to X-acto knife'

'Be a better Sportsman-Flick a prop'

'Beckhams guide to Aeromodelling'

'My life with a Sportsman Aeromodeller' by Spice

'You too can be a better sportsman-Join the BMFA'

oops or should that be the BMSA ?

When will all this nonsense go away ? it seems that our hobby is being manipulated by those that should know better,they may govern model flying but cannot comprehend common sense.

Agreed guys. My old man's into his flying and he was rolling around the floor laughing when I mentioned this. Like several of you have said on this thread it's (altogether now)......"POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAAAAAAAADDDD!" Hahaha.IMHO, it's all because the people that decide what's what don't understand these things and they have to categorise (EVVVVVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE CATEGORISED APPARENTLY) the given article/activity into the next closest thing and in doing this they've made themselves look like a bunch of charlies!

[Guest]

Mmm, How can Modeling ( of objects ) be called a Hobby? It is a very serious Professional business for a great many people. Static scale modelling of an aeroplane surely cannot be called Aeromodelling as they will never fly, indeed many millions of them are not designed to fly.

Would you all like to see even more flying sites being lost by closing the door to a new initiative which may help to enlighten the powers that be, or even the general public who see no harm in building on the flying club sites.

Flying a Model is a form of sport as well as a hobby. Building them while providing much pleasure is a hobby with no sport.

Now that lot has as much sense and merit as other posts on this thread.

Whatever your beliefs I wish you all the very best for the coming year.

[wonwinglo]

We are strictly referring to the term 'Aromodelling' when talking about the proposed changes,these encompass the building and flying of model aircraft,other categories such as static modelling do not apply.

What the BMFA are trying to do is change the status to something which is totally different,this all started some years ago when they wanted to get the hobby recognised as a sport because otherwise finance was not available from the sports council.

It is a political issue,and nothing whatsoever to do with what aeromodelling really represents,which is building a model aircraft to fly.

To be perfectly honest,I am not interested in conveying a message to the public that places the hobby into a totally different category just because it suits the BMFA infrastructure,like many others I started in aeromodelling to enjoy building and flying model aircraft,and for no other political reason.

Thread closed.

Mmm, How can Modeling ( of objects ) be called a Hobby? It is a very serious Professional business for a great many people. Static scale modelling of an aeroplane surely cannot be called Aeromodelling as they will never fly, indeed many millions of them are not designed to fly.Would you all like to see even more flying sites being lost by closing the door to a new initiative which may help to enlighten the powers that be, or even the general public who see no harm in building on the flying club sites.

Flying a Model is a form of sport as well as a hobby. Building them while providing much pleasure is a hobby with no sport.

Now that lot has as much sense and merit as other posts on this thread.

Whatever your beliefs I wish you all the very best for the coming year.

[Guest]

I am not so sure about thread closed Barry, the whole idea of the forum is that we can all add our personal views as and when we want.

Nothing is ever quite as cut and dried as we would like it from our own personal point of view and this is one of those issues that is always going to evoke strong feelings on both sides.

I have to say I am the first one to get on my soap box when I hear of the latest round of PC stupidity but on the other hand when we hear so regularly of flying sites being lost to the Aeromodelling fraternity, probably as a result of the same PC idiots, maybe we should consider the options of allowing sites to remain open under an alternative guise.

Much as it grieves us if getting any sort of money or facility into the model flying clubs hands requires some backing down I think it should be considered very carefully.

It is very easy to be sat at home complaining about the slow painfull death of a hobby that suffers from lack of facilities when there were options that could have avoided it.

I think this is one thread that will always generate enthusiastic opinions and we should encourage open, honest and positive dialogue on the subject for the general benefit of anyone who wants the freedom to build and fly model aircraft.

To be honest if anyone refers to me as a modeller, boater, model boater, hobbyist, sportsman, sportsperson or a grumpy old git, I'm not too worried as long as I can sit on the pond side and play with my boat when I want.