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.

Bunkerbarge

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.

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“Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack, Butting through the Channel in the mad March days"

new to trains

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 !

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just gotta keep building !

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’.

Bunkerbarge

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!)

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“Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack, Butting through the Channel in the mad March days"

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.

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'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

Bunkerbarge

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

flytilbroke

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.

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Retired is the best job

backonthecase

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!

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"Ah, Bellamy, for cryin' out loud. That's the the stinking, most awful, stupid joke and you're always pullin' that stinking awful stupid joke.
You don't want in this thing, you don't get in this thing. I cut you out of everything. I don't need you. Sixty feet of bridge I can get almost anywhere. Schmuck!"

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.

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'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/