History of the Waveney Model Flying Club, by Dick Wickham

The club was started mid 1960s and started as a Control Line Club. Flying models was being flown by a bunch of us model aircraft enthusiasts, flying on Beccles Common. I thought that we should form ourselves into a club and asked the other people if they were in agreement and I was delegated to do just that. Putting an ad. in the local paper I was surprised at the response that I got, about 20 people replied and we arranged to have a meeting in a local public house. We formed a committee and got affiliated to the S.M.A.E. as it was called at that time, now B. M.F.A. and held a monthly meeting with a growing membership, people joining from Norwich, Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Beccles. The common at Beccles was, and still is, a Golf course. After a lot of unpleasant forays with them, we decided to move onto the old airfield at Ellough. There was plenty of room there for us there with the runways still intact, a few of us even flew the models in one of the hangars, a bit noisy and quite dark as well, we had to remember not to fly too high in there as well, with the roof rafters, they were low enough to eat your model if you got too eager. As radio control got more reliable and available at a reasonable price, that part got bigger, I, for one went over to the R.C. Side, the Control Line members did not really want to mix C.L. and R.C. and went back to the Common and the R.C. side got bigger with a membership of over 80 members. At that time we had no restrictions on us at all, but as time has moved on, the airfield has had a lot of industry built on it and we are being hemmed in. Our flying field is rented off a farmer and a few years back we had to apply for Planning consent, we fought for 2 years to hold it, all because of a man that moved into the farm house and complained about the noise, he had complained before he had moved into the house, we now have restricted times and noise levels The house has changed hands 3 times since then and at the moment the people that live there now are very good and have no problems with us. We still have people joining the club and they are gaining their A certificates, being taught by members of the club, a few young members are progressing nicely, we have 2 examiners and are hoping for 3 more soon. I have been a member of the club ever since it was born and am the founder member. I have seen a lot of changes in that time. Model aircraft, members and the different methods of building the models. I am glad to say we still have real aeromodellers that make their models instead of buying them ready made in the club

New Field

In 2006, the Club moved to a new flying field just South-East of Aldeby village, overlooking the Waveney valley. It has taken a lot of hard work and the trials and tribulations have been many, but after roughly a year the field was finally ready to use and on the 1st of July 2006 the field saw the first day of flying by the club members.
The first photos were taken when the club was first offered the field and as you can see you needed a lot of imagination to believe it could become a flying field….. but we are nothing if not imaginative. The photos were taken from a point 150yds into the field and facing different directions

The following photos were taken while the car parking area was being laid out and show the work in progress at the entrance (work being carried out by Waveney Asphalt), the run from the gate to the car parking area and the car park, the flying field and the work crew. The car parking area is stage 1 and will be increased in size (stage 2) in the new year, funds permitting, The grass surface has been covered in a re-enforcing mesh supplied by Tenax Ltd. which will allow light vehicle usage throughout the year without surface erosion, this product is widely used in car parks etc. but is very expensive

The photos below were taken on the 1st day of flying at the new field on 1st July 2006. The first set show the models being noise tested to make sure they meet the “below 82db” criteria, if any model was above 82db then it was not allowed to fly and moves were taken to quiet the model down, i.e.. larger propeller

Our illustrious chairman having the very first flight from the new field

It has taken more than a year from it’s conception through the planning and preparation of the field, which was up until October 2005 just a ploughed field, until we are now able to use it for flying. It has taken a lot of hard work and much expense by the club members, but we feel it was worth it. Bring on the calm sunny days…

More to come, Later…..