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WING
SPAN
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY
WING
SPAN
MAAALogo.
The MAAA has listened to our
membership and recently changed
the wings recognition program to
include a silver wings category, which
will commence from July 1, 2015 and
cover model aircraft above 2kg.
This move comes after extensive
consultation through our 2014
membership survey and feedback
from clubs that changes to our
proficiency schememay help
encourage “park flyers” and those
new to the sport.
The bronze wings category will be
aimed at attracting modellers who
fly models under 2kg. This will allow
people who want to start off with a low
cost model to enter the wings system
and hopefully progress up the scale to
bigger andmore powerful models.
Silver wings will be applicable to
members flying models weighing over
2kg, while the gold wings will remain
the same. The new systemwill also
allowmore flyers to demonstrate
their proficiency when visiting other
MAAA clubs and participating in MAAA
events.
Flying tests for both bronze and silver
wings will be the same – that is, the
current bronze wings test. The only
differing factor will be the weight of
the aircraft. The pilot transitioning
frombronze to silver wings will have
to demonstrate his or her proficiency
with flying a heavier and possibly
faster aircraft.
In the transition period, all members
who hold a bronze wing rating will
be provided with silver wings. These
wings will be available, through your
State Association, at the beginning
of the 2015/16 membership year on
renewal of membership.
Bronze wings will be retained to cover
model aircraft below 2kg. MOP027
Award of Wings and instructor ratings
will be amended and published closer
to the implementation date.
Scale aerobatics is a vibrant aspect
of aeromodelling and competitions
are what make aeromodelling a
sport as well as a hobby. It’s not easy
to place yourself under the scrutiny
of your peers while you try to fly a
known sequence you’ve spent all
year trying to perfect, or to undertake
the nervous challenge of flying an
unknown sequence you’ve only seen
on paper and flown in your head.
But scale aerobatics definitely
attracts people to aeromodelling and,
with the large number of cheaper RC
models on themarket, it’s easy to be
deceived into thinking that flying is
simpler than it appears.
The truth is that flying a plane is a
learned skill that can be done the easy
way or the hard way. The hard way is
to do it all on your own. The easy way
is to find out who has done it before
and who will help you. There are
clubs throughout Australia set up for
just this situation: To introduce and
develop interest in flying –all forms
of flying, whether it’s RC, free flight,
control line or scale aerobatics.
I recommend you find a local club
and ask for advice. Initially you should
concentrate on getting off the ground
and becoming proficient in landing
and general flying. You can then
move through aircraft to find the right
choice for you.
Practisemakes perfect and I’ve been
impressed by the small contingent of
flyers who attend a field regularly and
practice aspects of their flying, and at
open days can show an amazing skill
level.
Most of these pilots have spent hours
of practice refining their skills of
control. So apart from flying, they need
a reliable aircraft and they need a plan
to improve aspects of their flying.
It’s one thing to copy what everyone
else is doing at the field, but it is
another to do it exactly when it’s
called for, and to a set of rules. This is
aerobatics. Model aerobatics follows
the same principles as full-size
silver
wings
THE MAAA HAS HEARD WHAT MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY! WE’VE INTRODUCED A SILVER WINGS
QUALIFICATION BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK IN THE 2014 MEMBERS’ SURVEY.
THE EXCITEMENT OF
AEROBATICS
MAAA MEMBER PETER BRYNER TELLS WINGSPAN ABOUT THE EXCITEMENT OF AEROBATICS
AND SAYS THAT LIFE IN THE FAST LANE ISN’T AS SIMPLE AS IT SEEMS. BEHIND THE
EXCITEMENT OF THE STRIKING SPITFIRE, OR THAT LARGE 100CC YAK, THERE’S A PILOT
WHO STARTED WITH A HIGH-WING TRAINER.
Silver wings will be applicable to
members flying models weighing over
2kg, while the gold wings will remain the
same.
