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BMFA 100th anniversary world record attempt


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11.82 would mean a third of our members flying.... I think that's quite an achievement.  In a previous club, that'd be about 1 in 10 ?

  • Some people are very nervous of flying with lots of planes in the air
  • Some people prefer flying alone
  • Some sites just aren't suitable for proper mass takeoff and landing.

In all, I think to get 263 clubs to participate is excellent; and to get over 3000 in the air is outstanding.

 

Incidentally, our small club had above the average..... but mostly the regular flyers, with just a couple of members who are rarely at the field, plus a few wives and children with chuckies.

 

I wonder if more, or less, would participate if we repeated the exercise.  

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1 minute ago, GrumpyGnome said:

I wonder if more, or less, would participate if we repeated the exercise.  

I think that the fun that was had by all will encourage others to join in next time, the emphasis being that it was a 'fun day' for all the family.

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Just released the final figures. 3109 models in the air at 12 noon on the 15th May 2022 and 263 clubs took part. We have established a new UK absolute record and will be supplying the information to the FAI for the diploma. An application for the World record will follow.

 

A full statement can be seen on the BMFA Facebook page.

 

Thank you to all who participated and for the very positive feedback! I will be releasing more information in the following weeks regarding the attempt. 

 

Simon Vaitkevicius

BMFA Records Officer.

Thanks Simon, but I (and I'm sure many others) would not go near Facebook with a proverbial barge-pole - please put a bulletin on the main BMFA website.

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I think a lot of people were nervous about flying. I was so I used my electric glider and got up early and high, out of everyones way. As it happened our day was incident free. Using such a variety of models made it possible for plenty of flyers to use the airspace and also holding a briefing beforehand where pilots positions, launching, airspace use, landing and retrieval were all explained.

In the end, even though it was only 14 aircraft, everyone said that they felt quite comfortable taking part.

We are lucky in having quite a spacious field so others may have struggled with small sites.

 

This was my first go at such an event but I'd happily defend our record?

 

Well done and thanks to the BMFA and our club members for organising it.?

 

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12 minutes ago, Romeo Whisky said:

Thanks Simon, but I (and I'm sure many others) would not go near Facebook with a proverbial barge-pole - please put a bulletin on the main BMFA website.

My bargepole is sharpened and keeps Faceache at a healthy distance so I would like to see a bulletin on the main website.

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12 minutes ago, Romeo Whisky said:

Thanks Simon, but I (and I'm sure many others) would not go near Facebook with a proverbial barge-pole - please put a bulletin on the main BMFA website.

Agreed, there are many of us with the same opinions about Facebook and other social meddling sites. BMFA pages for info, please.

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I use Facebook a lot for family and all manner of other communications and I ensure that I only stick to info that I wish to see and not from anyone that don't - easy.  I get regular updates from IWM, National Motorcycle Museum, Old Warden, BMFA and many, many others. Updates from family and friends are also handy.....even our flying club has a (closed, i.e. private) FB page!  I find it a valuable service and as with so much else where we could run into problems these days (mobile phone scams via dodgy texts and not forgetting fake emails) simple common sense is all that is required.

I've read the FB update page on the record attempt and am still here to tell the tale. Not a bad idea to put it up on the BMFA website though.

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I use Facebook a lot for family and all manner of other communications

There is no disputing that many people use Facebook and enjoy it, but that doesn't change the fact that there are also many who regard it (and some of its its terms and conditions) as objectionable and won't go near it.  In my view, an organisation like BMFA with a well-established website should use that as its main communication platform.

I have no problem with them using Facebook as well, but I, for one, won't use it.  I regard the security of my PC too seriously - and for that matter I won't use Zoom either.

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If BMFA are to remain relevant in today's world, then having a decent profile on social media will be vital, particularly if we wish to engage with younger people. I think the security issues that have been expressed regarding FB are somewhat overstated, but of course one must do what is thought best. 

On the record attempt participation, it strikes me that over 500 clubs didn't bother to take part! I wonder why? Perhaps as this first attempt went so well, numbers will be up next time?

 

 

 

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Cuban8.

 

My club committee's first reaction was that it would attract unwanted attention to the club leading to possible loss of the club site. Also assumed that we would have to fly in tight formation to get the required (initially) dated photo evidence, which  many had never done. It was pointed out that the flying would not be much different to our normal routine with the exception of relaxing our five in the air rule for 10 - 15 minutes every 100 years. Also the photoing could be done by multiple cameras so no need for formation flying. On the day it all went very smoothly even though the majority of the committee were absent for whatever reason.

 

John

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2 hours ago, Cuban8 said:

If BMFA are to remain relevant in today's world, then having a decent profile on social media will be vital, particularly if we wish to engage with younger people. I think the security issues that have been expressed regarding FB are somewhat overstated, but of course one must do what is thought best. 

On the record attempt participation, it strikes me that over 500 clubs didn't bother to take part! I wonder why? Perhaps as this first attempt went so well, numbers will be up next time?

 

 

 

 

My 19 year old daughter informs me that Facebook is for old people?

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Well, we had a brilliant day!.

All the committee, plus a few regulars and a couple of helpers turned up in pouring rain.

Total models in the air 12.

One minor mid air (Glider and Twinstar).

Down South the weather was dire, but it stopped raining just long enough for us to complete a flight between five to, and five past twelve.

We had planned a BBQ, Fun fly in etc. which had to be postponed.

Everything now moved to our Jubilee weekend BBQ and Fun Competition.

A great day!.

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Personally I believe that all who attended the Ospreys contribution to the record attempt had an enjoyable time, despite the wind coming from behind the pits and the heavens opening as we all set up to get our machines in the air.

 

Everyone seemed to leave with smiles on their faces as can be seen in our photograph.

It was generally considered fun and provoked a sense of coming together.

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We had to cajole a few members, there were several emails and messenger group reminders in the days running up to the event but, importantly, it got a group of us together on a wet, overcast day when few would have ordinarily made the effort. That everyone enjoyed themselves, saw people they’d not seen for a while and flew hopefully reminded them of the social and community benefits being a club member brings. Understandably some seem to have forgotten about this over the last few years. 
 

It’s the kind of activity the BMFA should really focus on in the coming years. 
 

Here’s a thought. Off topic I know but why can’t my club form a team for the Payload Challenge this year? Ok, I know it’s only for university teams but why isn’t there a club Payload competition? ?
 

 

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4 hours ago, David Ashby - Moderator said:

We had to cajole a few members, there were several emails and messenger group reminders in the days running up to the event but, importantly, it got a group of us together on a wet, overcast day when few would have ordinarily made the effort. That everyone enjoyed themselves, saw people they’d not seen for a while and flew hopefully reminded them of the social and community benefits being a club member brings. Understandably some seem to have forgotten about this over the last few years. 
 

It’s the kind of activity the BMFA should really focus on in the coming years. 
 

Here’s a thought. Off topic I know but why can’t my club form a team for the Payload Challenge this year? Ok, I know it’s only for university teams but why isn’t there a club Payload competition? ?
 

 

It has been my experience, David, that as soon as you use the competition word most model flyers react against it.  The view is that competition is cut  throat and nasty and all they want to do is to fly around and enjoy themselves.  Good luck if you can break through the competition barrier with that idea.

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Similar outlook in my club - just four entered our spot landing / aero competition last year.

 

Only disappointment for me on our BMFA day, was that some club members came to watch - they could easily have watched us all take off, thrown a chuckie, then watched us all land........ I didn't see them until too late or I may have badgered them a little ?

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1 hour ago, GrumpyGnome said:

Similar outlook in my club - just four entered our spot landing / aero competition last year.

 

Only disappointment for me on our BMFA day, was that some club members came to watch - they could easily have watched us all take off, thrown a chuckie, then watched us all land........ I didn't see them until too late or I may have badgered them a little ?

In general, we have to do a fair amount of "badgering" to get club members to actually do anything! Works parties, BBQ's, "Fun Flying" events (we have stopped calling them competitions), attending club nights, guest speakers etc. Over the years, we have tried virtually everything. We keep trying, but its an uphill struggle!.

 

I too, would have been somewhat "miffed" if club members had just turned up to watch as above. They could so easily have taken part and enjoyed an historic day.

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On 24/05/2022 at 10:33, Romeo Whisky said:

Thanks Simon, but I (and I'm sure many others) would not go near Facebook with a proverbial barge-pole - please put a bulletin on the main BMFA website.

Hi @Romeo Whisky, We have put the official statement on the main BMFA website as requested BMFA Centenary Record Attempt - Final verified count.

 

Simon V

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One plus factor for our club was that we had a guest flier who is not in any club, and liked our facilities so much he applied to join our club. This takes us up to full membership (limit 100 adults) which is not bad after the Covid losses.

 

John

 

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