MAAA Wingspan

24 WING SPAN FEBRUARY national special interest group ELECTRIC GLIDING REPORT On behalf of the Australian Electric Flight Association (AEFA), I would like to let readers know what we, as the Electric Glider Special Interest Group, have been up to whilst nailed down by COVID-19. Our show piece tournament, The National Electric Flight Rally (NEFR), scheduled for 3.5 days over Easter 2020 was cancelled like many other flying events. NEFR is a potpourri of events including the whole Electric Old Timer suite, and a range of electric glider events including F5J, Foamy Pylon racing, Scale and a number of other skill-based events. In 2021 we will also be including the emerging E-RES class. I quote one of our members; “... I can put up with not being able to travel to Alice Springs for the Seniors Games, and not going on holidays, but I sorely miss the NEFR.” Have a look at our website, http:// www.aefanet.com/ , to see more about the NEFR. Planning is well underway for NEFR 2021 next Easter which will be held at the Cootamundra State Field. Before then, COVID-19 willing, we will be holding the 5th annual F5J Trophy, also at the Cootamundra State Field from, 6th-8th November 2020. This event includes the Australian F5J team selection trials for the 2021 F5J World Championship (WC) and WC aspirants will fly alongside those who simply want to fly in an F5J event. At the time of writing, the 2021 F5J WC has been postponed until 2022 and we are awaiting advice as to whether or not the selection trials will proceed as planned or be postponed a year. Provided it is safe to do so, the F5J Trophy event will be held with or without the selection trials. Hopefully the F5J WC will proceed in 2022 and Australia is able to attend. The AEFA is always pleased to support such teams financially as it did for the first F5J WC in 2019 and indeed the F5J World Cups in Slovakia in 2017 and 2018. The AEFA will continue to support future teams and is able to do so through association funds and a generous bequest by the late Paul Gibson. Readers may also be interested in our postal competitions, which are a great way to compete with flyers AUG ST