For the past 7 years or so Keighley & District Model Aircraft Club have put on events or been involved in local community events, this year was to be no different, it was just a question of what. This question was soon answered when we received an email from Bradford Industrial Museum, telling us about a yearlong event they are putting on called Model Mania and asked us if we would we get involved by running an aero modelling event over the May Bank holiday weekend. No problem for us, we will get a few guys together, display a few models, book the BMFA simulator bingo job done, nice quiet weekend we thought. Ongoing to booking the simulator we find out this was the first weekend of the BMFA’s promotional Flight Fest month and quickly had Andy Symons on-board with the simulator and some great promotional bits and pieces.
The event started the weekend before when a few members went over to the museum to put together a small static display, this already looked great and promising for the main event starting on the following Sunday and now named Model Mania, Grand Day Out. The main static display was put together on Sunday morning and to say that we were impressed with the quality of our members models is an understatement. There was a small number of good quality ARTF’s but there was a good number of own built models including some very special scale models, R/C and Control line competition models and some unusual stuff as well.
Monday being the main day, we set up the BMFA simulator in a prime location and manned by Andy and a few members, plus a display with a working 3D printer which made parts throughout the day for a very nice scale model also a building board was set up and a vintage combat wing was built during the day. From the moment the doors opened at 10.00 right through close of play at 16.00 we were talking to members of the public answering all sorts of questions and giving out leaflets for our Open Day and come and try event the following Sunday. At close of play over 1400 people had passed through the doors, we were exhausted and the museum staff seemed very pleased with the day’s event.
Part two of the venture the following weekend saw the club and its members put on an Open Day for those who had attended the exhibition and expressed an interest in having a go at flying. Sunday morning came round and a good number of members arrived bright and early at the field to set up the new club kitchen and set out the field ready for all those visitors. Now there was some scepticism about how many would turn up, but once again the public interest was outstanding and our training officer reported that over 40 training flights took place with a good number of visitors showing an interest in taking things further.
All in all a great event which did a lot for aero modelling in our area and showcased the talents of our members well. One thing we have learnt over the years is its doing events like this that makes everyone realise what a great club we have. Thanks must go to Andy Symons and all the BMFA team for their support, we all walked away with our heads held high. What’s on for next year?
Pete Harvey
