Club Rules
General and Flying Site Rules
1.0 NAME
1.1 The Club shall be called the Cambridge Model Aircraft Club and henceforth shall be abbreviated to the C.M.A.C.
2.0 OBJECT
2.1 The object shall be to encourage the building and safe flying of model aircraft.
3.0 CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP
3.1 All members will agree to be bound by the rules of the C.M.A.C.
3.2 All members flying model aircraft at the Waterbeach Barracks site must be full members of the B.M.F.A.
3.3 Any member deemed to be in breach of the Club rules shall at the discretion of the committee be liable to expulsion.
3.4 The committee shall have jurisdiction over any matter not provided for in the constitution.
3.5 A club member must conduct his or her self in such a manner as not to cause a nuisance, inconvenience, and annoyance to other members or to the general public.
3.6 Any rubbish or modelling “debris” must be removed from the flying site.
3.7 All power models must be silenced in accordance with the recommendations of the B.M.F.A. / DoE where applicable for noise emission.
4.0 ENTRY TO AIRFIELD
4.1 The flying site is located at the 39th Engineers Barracks at Waterbeach. Directions to the airfield can be found on MAP-1.
4.2 All model flying is generally permitted at the airfield each Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 10.00 to 19.00hrs.
4.3 Entry is normally available to any fully paid up member of the club on being issued with an Army Security Pass.
4.4 On arrival, show your membership card at the gate, you may be asked to have your car searched. You will be told to report to the guardroom to sign in. You will be given with a car pass, this must be displayed behind the windscreen. On leaving the flying site, you must hand back your car pass and sign out.
4.5 Friends and family must be signed in at the guardroom if taken own vehicle. They must not fly any models and the club member is fully responsible for their conduct.
4.6 Due to the erection of the security fence around the barracks, access to the flying site is by the gate next to the golf course. These gates will be shut and locked and the entrance and exit is only at 9.00hrs; 10.00hrs; 11.00hrs; 12.00 hrs; 13.00hrs; 14.00hrs; 15.00hrs; 16.00hrs; 17.00hrs. Allow 15 minutes before the hour to book in and drive down to the gate.
4.7 Directions to the flying site are shown on MAP-2.
4.8 No part of the airfield is to be used for driving instruction.
4.9 A speed limit of 20 m.p.h must be adhered to when driving through the barracks.
4.10 Dogs are to be kept in the car or on a lead under supervision.
4.11 Model cars are not permitted on the airfield.
5.0 CAR PARKING
5.1 Cars must be parked in the designated space opposite the Pit area either side of the caravan. In the fixed wing area, cars must not be parked beyond the corner post fence. Model engines must not be run within 20 metres of parked cars.
6.0 FLYING AREA
6.1 Flying is restricted to the wide section of the tarmac at the north end of the main runway and the rough grass area alongside.
6.2 The “pit area” for powered models must not be closer than 20 metres to the parked cars.
6.3 Models must not be flown over the pit area, parked cars, or club members gathered together on the runway. Members must not perform low flying manoeuvres which could endanger others.
6.4 Absolute priority must be given to full size aircraft.
7.0 SAFETY ENFORCEMENT
PLEASE NOTE:-
THE COMMITTEE ADVISES THAT A MEMBER SHOULD NOT FLY ALONE DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ACCIDENT WITH NO ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE.
7.1 The first member to arrive at the airfield will become the Acting Safety Officer. He/She will set up a Pegboard for frequency control. On arrival of the official Safety Officer or Committee member, that member will hand over the responsibilities. In the event of the Safety Officers departure, then the responsibility must be handed over to the most senior member of the Club present.
7.2 The Safety Officer may carry out a spot check on transmitter frequencies and channels.
7.3 All normal take-offs and landings will be into wind.
7.4 The pit areas are designated as per MAP-3. Pits to be used for starting member’s models only, models not being flown are to be kept in the pits.
7.5 The Safety Officer will decide on the take-off and landing area. It will be sited at a safe distance from the pit area so as not to be endangered by aircraft taking off and landing.
7.6 Once the model is airborne, the pilot must clear the take-off area and join the pilots in a group.
7.7 Airspace over the golf course is out of bounds at all times.
7.8 Pilots must call in a loud voice “LANDING” when intending to land and must ensure that the chosen landing area is clear of people. If the engine cuts out then the pilot must call in a loud voice “DEAD-STICK” and must be given PRIORITY to land the aircraft.
7.9 From time to time the Safety Officer may be forced to make rulings directly affecting the flyers, i.e. reorganisation of flying and moving the pits due to the wind changing direction during the day.
7.10 New members will be given supervised training if required. He/She will be encouraged to take the B.M.F.A. “A” Certificate Achievement Scheme after the training period.
8.0 FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS
8.1 New members joining the club will have a channel number allocated for their primary use. Secondary channel number can be allocated or provided by the member.
8.2 The membership secretary will advise the new member when they receive their membership card.
8.3 The membership secretary will maintain a table which list all members allocated channel numbers. This will be on display on the flying site.
8.4 On the 35MHz band the following channels have been allocated to specific groups of models:-
a) POWERED FIXED WING OR GLIDER.
b) HELICOPTER.
8.5 It is compulsory for all models to be operated only on
a) POWERED FIXED WING OR GLIDER. Channels 55 to 79 and Channels 87 to 90
b) HELICOPTERS. Channels 81 to 85
Channels 80 and 86 NOT USED
NOTE:- Channel 80 and 86 are left unused to provide a safety margin of 20 Khs between pit locations. This is necessary to prevent adjacent channel interference. Any person not using the correct channel to fly from the correct pits will not be allowed to fly.
8.6 There are no allocations on the 27MHz or UHF bands.
9.0 FREQUENCY CONTROL
9.1 A frequency channel pegboard must be set up when a member arrives at the appropriate pit area.
9.2 Each transmitter aerial must display its channel number clearly.
9.3 Each transmitter must have an associated channel number indicator for mounting on the pegboard.
9.4 All specific aircraft types are to be flown from their own designated pit area.
THIS IS WITHOUT EXCEPTION!
The following MUST be complied with:-
a) FIXED WING POWERED AND GLIDERS
CHANNEL NUMBERS 55 to 79 INCLUSIVE
CHANNEL NUMBERS 87 to 90 INCLUSIVE
This category applies to ALL fixed wing aircraft (including scale aircraft) using I.C. engines or electric motors for propulsion during all, or for the greater part of their flight duration. This category also includes Auto-gyro’s.
Any geared, or high speed electric gliders which use their motor as the sole power through the whole flight.
These MUST be only flown from the fixed wing pit area.
b) HELICOPTERS
CHANNEL NUMBERS 81 to 85 INCLUSIVE
This category applies to rotary wing aircraft but excludes Auto-gyro’s.
9.5 The act of fixing the peg to the board reserves that channel for the sole use of that member until he or she removes it.
9.6 Standard dimensions for the 35MHz channel number peg are 2” x 1.5” minimum fixed to a clothes peg with white numbers 1” – 1.25” high on an orange background.
9.7 The pilot’s name is to be clearly printed on the front or back of the peg.
9.8 In order to ensure that two pegs of identical channels are not fixed to the board at the same time, they must be affixed in numerical order, lowest number at the top for a vertical board.
9.9 A transmitter must not be switched on unless its relevant peg is fixed to the pegboard. It must never be switched on near the boot or along side the owner’s car. Strict disciplinary action will be taken over non-compliance with this rule.
9.10 No long distance range checks will be carried out while flying is in progress. When range checks are carried out the transmitter must remain at the relevant pit location and NEVER taken away from the pits when switched on.
Thermal or slope soarers using either bungee, electric or I.C. motors as a means of launch.
These aircraft MUST only be flown from the thermal glider pits area. NOT included are powered fixed wing without landing gear.
9.11 When the pilot has completed his/her flight, the transmitter MUST be switched off and the peg removed from the pegboard. This is to free the channel for other members who may be waiting for a flight.
9.12 At the end of the day please ensure that all pegs are removed from the pegboard.
10.0 FINAL NOTE
10.1 Please enjoy your flying but keep it SAFE for yourself and your fellow members.
10.2 Further references to the SAFETY CODE may be found in the B.M.F.A. hand book which you should have received with your insurance certificate or direct from the B.M.F.A. 31 St. Andrew’s Road, Leicester, LE2 8RE
ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE – SAFE FLYING
Eric Miller
Chairman