Persons Present
Mike Colling FSMAE Vice Chairman
David Lloyd-Jones Area Delegate & PRO/CCMAA
Ivan Mottershaw Wirral RCFS/Chester MFC
Kieth Barker Webmaster/ Rochdale MAC
Stephen Headland Rochdale MAC
John O'Donnell Timperley MF
Kevin Smith Fylde Coast MFA
Tom Anyon Fylde Coast MFA
Gerry Ferer Timperley MF
Jim Radcliffe Timperley &DMAC
The meeting started at 8pm
Mike Colling chaired the meeting. Gerry Ferer acted as secretary.
Apologies for absence.
Chris Bromley, Derek Gilbert, Roy Allam, Sue Reeves and Steve Ogden.
Correspondence.
The secretary had received a report of the BMFA Western Area Fixed Wing Examiners
Workshop held on 12th August 2007 at Frome. The report showed that the day was
helpful and highlighted some points for examiners to consider. However, although
14 attended, other than the 2 organising the event, only 3 clubs were represented,
and 8 of the 12 watching were from the club holding the event.
KB said the workshop he had attended (in E-Anglia) was useful but also had a
small attendance. There might be better attendance if a smaller geographic area
was covered. The intention of such workshops was to achieve a common standard
from examiners.
DLJ said it was important to set a level standard, particularly for club examiners
who may be lenient to their own club, and suggested all examiners should be
appointed by the BMFA.
Minutes of the previous meeting held on 11th September.
DLJ had printed copies of minutes as these had not been received due to a problem
at the office with the new database and a postal strike.
Corrections
page 1 and 3. The meeting venue is St Aidan's not AIden's
page 3. T.Anyon is from Fylde Coast MFA, not MAC
In error acceptance of the Minutes was not proposed.
Matters Arising.
page 4. DLJ had raised in Council our disquiet over Council minutes and Agendas
not being prominent on the website, and not on time. There had been some improvement,
but there was room for more.
page 4. Council item 12a. Records. JOD raised this item here. See under Proposal.
Proposal to Council
JOD had obtained from Leicester a copy of the 'Contest Rules, Section 2a, Records,
issue Aug 2007'. This contains the classes and procedure for World, FAI, and
BMFA records. For BMFA outdoor Free Flight, there are 47 record categories,
and only 2 of these have been claimed. He said there was obviously no interest
in the present records, and the categories are inappropriate for Free Flight
where duration is the only measure of performance. JOD proposed (1) that the
current outdoor FF records be discontinued, and (2) that records be awarded
annually for the longest flyoff flight made under contest conditions, for gliders,
rubber powered models, and powered models. (The exact wording is on the proposal
forms provided by JOD).
GF was against the proposal saying that existing records should not be expunged,
and that an annual record was just another contest. After considerable discussion
the 2 proposals were taken together, proposed by KB, seconded TA, and voted
2 for, 1 against, with 3 abstentions.
Officers' Reports.
MC and DLJ had nothing to report.
Council Meetings.
1. Report on Full Council of 15th Sept.
The Delegate reviewed the minutes in detail for the meeting.
Additional items from the Council minutes:- The CEO had thanked DLJ for his
input in drafting the August Nationals scale programme. The CEO had attended
meetings over Barkston, and had been assured of continued use of the airfield.
L.Barr, a member of the Indoor Technical Committee had resigned over disagreement
on rule changes, and had attempted to run indoor events separate from the Committee.
The BMFA chairman is to sort this out. L.Barr has now been nominated to the
Indoor TC.
2. Report on Area Council of 6th October.
The Delegate reviewed the minutes in detail for the meeting.
It was noted that a test taken by an ACE without first speaking to his Area
Coordinator was not accepted and a "B" test candidate was requested
to take it again in view of a discrepancy. This was a good way to demonstrate
to examiners and ACEs they have to follow procedures.
Agenda for Technical Council on 20th Oct.
The Delegate said there was nothing vital to the NW-Area.
Examiners Meeting.
Nothing further has been done on this. From the W-Area Examiners Meeting reported
earlier the best format is still undecided.
Future of Flight Challenge.
DLJ said schools had a problem in travelling a long distance to the finals venue.
He suggested school teams could fly and be timed locally. This is how the Challenge
started. JOD queried why the BMFA should spend money on this. MC has lots of
interest from children and parents for his Education programme, which he does
locally, though not at schools. He has supplied hundreds of model kits to schools.
JR said that Scouts have an 'Aero' badge and Timperley &DMAC have been asked
to help the local Troop. KB noted that there were several youngsters attending
the Rochdale indoor meetings, but agreed these were the children of modellers.
AOB
KS complained that the BMFA was wasting postage. As secretary of FCMFA he had
received a Nationals brochure with the Bulletin, and also an extra family member's
ballot paper.
The meeting closed at 10.30pm.