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CHAIRMAN’S CHATTER, BY JON GODDARD
If I haven’t said it before can I wish everyone a belated Happy, Safe, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. I hope that all who could have had at least one Covid19 vaccination.
There is little to report as since I took over as Chairman the country has been in lockdown with no model flying allowed.
A recent development that I am working on, with the very great help of Brian Brockway, is the issue of flying at the Picnic Site.
Photo by Frank Bayes
The Army have regained control of this site and have erected fences to prevent access to where we previously used to fly. At present all flying is banned – the Army have lots of experts who can find reason for things not to happen. The history of this is that the Army leased the site to the local council and that lease expired in 2019. These experts looked at what was happening at the site and clearly found it unacceptable – hence the fence and no flying. I am unable to determine if the Viewing Area where we used to park our cars is still open to the public. Representations have been made to them and they have made the offer that they would open the site within a half hour of a telephone call provided that all the participants were members of one club and there was a single point of contact.
As a consequence, I have suggested that CDMFC is that club and will provide the single point of contact (probably me) and will pay the license fee if any. An annual cost of £180 is being talked of which is much the same as the cost of the Longham reservoirs. The other consequence is that the local fliers who use the site and are not CDMFC members would have to join us. I have suggested that we waive the joining fee for these new members making it relatively inexpensive on an individual basis. I will keep you all informed of progress when it happens. My experience with the Army is that things will either happen very quickly or feet will be dragged for a long time. It would help if we had a retired General or Admiral in the club since the old boy network works well in these instances.
I would like to pay my thanks to the Secretary, Mike Roach, for all his hard work. It’s a pity that his work on the Christmas Quiz was largely ignored. I would have liked to participate but I’m afraid most of the questions were about an era of which I have no knowledge or particular interest. Better luck next time Mike!
It would seem likely that we may be able to fly again in the not too distant future. I am waiting on the BMFA to clarify what is permissible before I issue an edict. I will let everyone know through the Google group as soon as I am clear on what is permitted.
Talking of the Google group it has provided me with much amusement and knowledge during the cold, windy and rainy winter. I hope everyone else found it entertaining. I have taken up watching Webinars, particularly the BMFA and Army Flying Museum ones. I have also watched ones from the Royal Institute of Navigation and Lymington Probus lectures as well.
Keep safe and let’s hope we can start flying very soon.
Jon Goddard
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