Introduction
Welcome to the North Oxfordshire Model Aircraft Club Handbook.
The Club was started in 1985 and originally flew on Enstone Airfield. The Club is now fortunate to have the use of
The Old Chipping Norton Airfield.
The field has a hard road for access and parking, a tarmac runway and an adjacent, mown grass patch.
The entrance is through green, double, metal gates, 1 mile South of Chipping Norton along the B4026 to Charlbury, on the right hand side. The gate is usually kept locked when the site is not being used. You will find the current number for the combination lock on your membership card. If the gate is locked when the first Club Member arrives Members arrange amongst themselves that it is locked by the last Club Member to leave. Inside the gate take the track to the left to the car parking and Pits areas.

The Club has the use of an HQ building that is heated and provides comfortable shelter with facilities for cooking and hot drinks. Members may obtain a key by application to the Chairman and payment of a deposit. Key holders accept responsibility for ensuring that the hut is locked at the end of a session.


The pits area Spring 2007.
The field is available for flying at any time in daylight after 09:00 hours except before 10:00hrs on Sundays and later than 18:00hrs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings, subject to the conditions laid down in the Club Rules.
It is essential that i.c. powered models are properly silenced.

Be Safe Be Happy
In this booklet you will find the “official” Club Rules. Please read them carefully as a guide to safe model flying but remember that they are not a substitute for common sense.
Members should also be familiar with the current BMFA recommendations, obtainable from the BMFA website or your BMFA handbook.



Committee for 2009

Chairman P. Simpson
Treasurer F. Dumbleton
Secretary, Welfare, Grass, S. Hodson
Headquarters, Web Site F. Penfold
Event Organiser A. Clark
Instructor/Examiner S. Burns


Safe Transmitter Operation

Safe model flying relies on non-interference between member’s radio equipment.
It is vital that only one transmitter at a time is operating on each channel. To ensure this the club operates a “Peg On” system.
In line with BMFA recommendations NOMAC only allows the use of model control equipment in the 35 MHz, 459 MHz and 2.4GHz bands. See last page of this handbook.
A Peg Board is kept in the hut, marked with the currently available channel numbers. This should be moved to the pits, near the path to the flight line, by the first person arriving at any session.
Every Club Member is responsible for a clothes peg marked with his name and the channel number he wishes to use. (A named black peg for 2.4GHz.) This is to be clipped to the appropriate position on Peg-Board before his transmitter may be switched on.
Transmitters must not be switched on, even with the aerial retracted, without the appropriate peg being on the Peg Board.
To reduce the possibility of accidents transmitter aerials must not be extended in the pits. The transmitter aerial should only be extended when at the flight line.
The peg should be removed from the board when the transmitter’s aerial is retracted and it is switched off. This is particularly important if two members are present wishing to use the same channel. It is polite to inform the other member that the channel is now available.
If there is any doubt about the use of a channel it is every Member’s responsibility to talk to every other Member present to ensure safe operation of the system.
The club possesses a radio monitor, which may be used to check the original 35MHz frequencies (channels 60 to 85). It is NOT safe to assume that a channel with a peg and not showing radio use is safe to use, it may be about to be switched on!!

Please take pity on the monitor and do not leave it either switched on with a flat battery or out in the rain. Both eventualities cost us time and money.

Mobile ‘phones should not be switched on in the pits or on the flight line.

See BMFA news bulletins regarding the use of 2.4GHz equipment and problems with Futaba and Multiplex transmitters (BMFA web-site or Club Notice Board)


Safe Flying

Qualified Members are permitted to fly on an individual basis but are reminded of the hazards involved. There is a hospital in Chipping Norton but will you make it if your propeller has severed your fingers?
The layout of the field (see illustration in Note 1) in some wind conditions results in pilots walking across an active flight line before and after their flight. This potential hazard can be alleviated by careful observation before so doing and shouting the intention at the pilots already flying, perhaps by the use of “crossing the patch” followed by “clear of the patch” or similar.
If access from the pits involves walking along a flight line you must use an observer by the pilots on the flight line when flying.
Note that non-BMFA member helpers are not insured while on the flight-line and should remain in the pits area.
Pilots about to land a model should announce “landing” and/or “dead-stick” as loudly as possible as appropriate.
A practice approach should be announced by “low-pass” or similar.
The use of a flight observer is mandatory during busy flying periods.
Never, ever, fly over the pits or car park or road.
There should be no flying over adjacent properties (they are half a mile away!!)

Being near to several active airfields results in us sometimes being over-flown by full size aircraft at low altitude. It is our responsibility to avoid these aircraft by a wide margin at all times. If in any doubt land immediately.

This may be of benefit to us, a few members may remember the visit of a Spitfire some time ago, on the last pass over the patch at an altitude of not more than 10m (yes, ten metres!)

Fly-by from the BBMF are frequent:



Photographed from the field, this visitor flew by on July 17th 2005.
Your Secretary nearly drove off the A361 Banbury road from Chipping Norton when the BBMF Lancaster flew over him, very, very low!



Club Information

Use of Club Facilities.

Club facilities are for the use of Club Members.
Visitors must at all times be accompanied by a Club Member.
Visiting model fliers who are BMFA insured may fly models with the permission of a Committee Member. (This includes visitors who wish to try the hobby for a first time under the supervision of a qualified Club Member)
Activities using our Club site or Facilities, which involve financial gain, will not be permitted.
Any person acting to the annoyance of Club Members or in a manner detrimental to safety may be asked to cease flying and/or leave the flying field by a Committee Member.

Access to the flying field.
Vehicles are to be left in the designated parking areas except for the purposes of loading and unloading.
No vehicle shall approach the flight line or helicopter flying area at any time, except to provide access by persons with mobility problems with prior notification of all Members present. (see note 1).
All farming areas and buildings are out of bounds.
The last person leaving the field shall ensure that the gate is secured.

Use of the Pits and Headquarters.
We are very proud of our new Headquarters.
The new kitchen and lounge areas will remain a joy to use as long as we all care for them and take responsibility for leaving them clean and tidy.


If you are not sure that you know how to operate the water pump, generator, gas fire etc. please ask! All Members can help by replenishing the water, gas, and petrol supplies if they run out, the treasurer will reimburse you if you get a receipt for his accounts file.
The waste bin needs emptying occasionally, spare bin-liners are provided. Please do not use the bin for the disposal of wrecked models, take your accidents home!
It is vital that the HQ is left secure, see the Chairman for your own set of keys, he will ask you for a modest deposit as they are expensive to replace.
The HQ provides a model preparation area sheltered from the worst of the weather.






Club Rules

Fliers
A model aircraft may only be flown by:
i) A Club Full or Family Member who has demonstrated proficiency in flying such a model safely to the satisfaction of the Committee (Usually to at least A Certificate level);
ii)A Club Full or Family Member, under the supervision of a Club Full Member who has demonstrated proficiency in flying such a model safely to the satisfaction of the Committee (Usually to at least A Certificate level);
iii) A Club Temporary Member, who is a BMFA Member, under the supervision of a Club Full Member who has demonstrated proficiency in flying such a model safely to the satisfaction of the Committee (Usually to at least A Certificate level).

.Flying Field Bye-laws and Procedures.
The BMFA Safety Code will be followed at all times.
(see your BMFA Handbook and the BMFA web-site for latest details)

Safety.
Safety shall be the primary concern and responsibility of all those involved in Club activities
Children are especially vulnerable to model flying accidents and are considered to be the responsibility of the adults bringing them to the flying field.
Persons not actively engaged with model flying should remain in the pits/car park area. Flight-line helpers must be BMFA members.

Flight line and flying areas.
The first person arriving at a field shall be responsible for establishing the position and direction of any fixed wing flight line and the position of the pits and helicopter flying areas, with regard to the weather conditions prevailing (see Note 1).
Any change in the disposition of the flying, landing and pits areas shall only take place after all persons flying models have been consulted. The change shall take place when no models are airborne.
No person shall cross a fixed wing flight line, grass landing area or helicopter flying area unless actively engaged in a flying activity.
All equipment such as model boxes shall be placed in the pits area, which is to be common to all fliers using the field, where shall be situated the frequency peg board.

Internal Combustion Engine Propelled Models
i) On Saturdays the flying of internal combustion engine propelled models should stop at 18.00 hrs.
ii) There shall be no flying of internal combustion engine propelled models on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
iii) There shall be no static running/running-in of engines at the field.

Fixed Wing Model Flying
The position and direction of the Fixed Wing Flight-line will be varied along the runway to take account of the prevailing wind direction.
Fixed wing pilots should at all times fly to the South or West of the Flight-Line (away from the Pits).
Models shall not be flown:
i)over or beyond the road (B4026);
ii)over the pits area, helicopter flying area or parking area ;
iii)low along the fixed wing flight line without first
informing other fliers;
iv)near any farm house or dwelling.

All fixed wing take-offs and landings shall be along the fixed wing flight line except in an emergency, which the flier shall announce in a loud voice, e.g. "DEADSTICK!".

Fliers of fixed wing aircraft shall leave the flight line when their model is airborne and stand near the other fliers.

Models landing have precedence over models about to take off. Any flier about to land his or her model shall announce "LANDING!" in a loud voice.

Helicopter Model flying
Models shall not be flown in, or over, the pits area, parking area or fixed wing flight line.
Hovering helicopter fliers will avoid any area under the current Fixed Wing flight-line.
The number of hovering practice pilots should be kept to safe level
(4 maximum at any one time).
Helicopter Pilots flying circuits should fly over the adjacent grass area, so as to avoid any area under the current Fixed Wing Flight-line.

Transmitters
All transmitters must be clearly marked with the channel in use.
All transmitters must be switched off with the aerial retracted when the appropriate frequency peg is not displayed on the frequency peg board (see note 2).

Models
All models must conform to the current regulations of the British Model Flying Association and (where applicable) the regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority.
All models must conform to any BMFA and Club regulations regarding noise emission.

Notes
1. Definition of terms.
The fixed wing “flight line” will be the area across which fixed wing models pass as they take off and land. The location of the fixed wing flight line will depend upon the prevailing weather conditions.
The helicopter flying area will be the area for helicopter take off, hovering and landing, usually on the grass area. The location of the helicopter flying area will depend on prevailing weather conditions. A separate area for the hovering of helicopters may be established to the East of the main Club area provided that rules concerning frequency/channel pegs are scrupulously followed and that care is taken over the possibility of noise affecting local inhabitants.
The pits area will be the area where models, tool boxes, the frequency pegboard and other paraphernalia will be kept, and will usually be on the concrete area alongside the HQ facility.
The layout of the parking, pits, flight-line and pilot standing area will usually be as shown below.



2. Transmitter frequency pegs.
The accidental switching on of a transmitter tuned to a channel already in use for flying a model will almost certainly result in the model crashing. To avoid any such problems strict control of transmitters is necessary. A board will always be available, marked with spaces for pegs, each space representing a radio channel allocated to the control of model aircraft by the Radiocommunications Agency (RA).
It is the responsibility of each Club Member to ensure that his or her appropriate peg, marked with his or her name and the frequency/channel to be used is the only one for that frequency/channel fixed to the board before either extending the aerial or switching on. Members are expected to show consideration for others by retrieving their pegs from the board immediately after switching off their transmitter and retracting the aerial.
2.4 GHz. users are recommended to carry out a simultaneous ground test of all transmitters and receivers which are to be used in a session to ensure no cross channel interference. At the time of writing this is believed only to affect a few Futaba sets.


Revised 08-01-2009
Membership Welfare Policy

“Note to parents, guardians and carers:
Whilst this Club has a moral and statutory duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure the general welfare and protection of children and vulnerable adult members, in particular during the actual act of model aircraft flying and associated pre-flight and post-flight procedures, the Club will not undertake the all encompassing responsibilities of those acting in the role of guardians or carers unless specifically arranged.

Our activities at the flying site do not start or finish at a regular time. It is therefore your responsibility to ensure the well being of your charge over and above arranging a predetermined arrival or leaving time. Usually you will accompany your charge throughout his/her stay at the field. Should you wish to leave a child or a vulnerable adult at the flying site, it is your responsibility to arrange for one of the qualified club members to supervise him/her during your absence and, if necessary, make arrangements for the member to be able to make contact with you.

Should your child have any special medical or physical needs you are required to advise the Club in writing. Should physical contact be required during model flying for instructional or any other purposes these will be explained to you and you will be required to record your agreement in writing defining the type and limits of contact.

Should the Club wish to use a photographic image of your child, the Club will follow the guidelines laid down by the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport. In addition, your written consent will be required for the Club so to do.

In addition the BMFA and this Club have specific rules and policies relating to children and vulnerable adults, a copy of which is available. This membership form must be countersigned by the parent or guardian if the applicant is under 18 years of age or by the authorised carer of a vulnerable adult, thereby signifying acceptance of the conditions of membership. Should you wish to discuss any issue, have any concerns or have suggestions on how we may improve our policies, then please contact the Club Secretary or any Committee Member or contact one of the help lines on Page 6 of the BMFA “Policy and Guidelines” as you deem appropriate.”
Constitution

1. The name of the club shall be NORTH OXFORDSHIRE MODEL AIRCRAFT CLUB.
2. The object of the club shall be to encourage and facilitate the construction and flying of model aircraft.
3. The (honorary) Officers of the Club shall be a Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer, to be elected at the Annual General Meeting and hold office until the next Annual General meeting.
4. The management of the Club shall be vested in a Committee consisting of the Officers of the Club together with Full Members of the Club as necessary for efficient running of the Club, to be elected at the Annual General Meeting and hold office until the next Annual General Meeting. All Committee members shall hold Membership of the BMFA through their membership of NOMAC
5. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the month of December.
6. The Committee may call a Special General Meeting when any matter of importance arises. The Committee must call a Special General Meeting on a requisition signed by at least half of the Full Members of the Club.
7. The names of Full Members proposed for election as Officers or Committee Members and proposals for changes to this Constitution shall be included with the agenda of the Annual General Meeting, a copy of which shall be posted to all Members at least three weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting.
8. At any General Meeting all motions shall be passed by a simple show of hands unless a ballot is requested by at least three of the Full Members present. Any such ballot shall be taken at such a time as decided by the Committee.
9. Joining Fees and Subscriptions shall be varied by the Members in General Meeting. All annual fees are due at the Annual General Meeting of the preceding year. Any Member whose subscription is in arrears on the fifteenth of January of any year shall be deemed to have resigned from the club and therefore be liable to the current Joining Fee should they wish to resume membership.

10. The election of Full, Family and Temporary Members shall be in the hands of the Committee.
At least one of the Family Members must be a Fee paying Full Member of the Club. Second and successive Family Members shall receive a 50% discount of all Club Fees. They shall not have voting rights in any Club Meeting nor have any share in the Assets of the Club."
Non flying family members, of Club Members, who wish to take part in the Club’s non flying activities may be invited by the Committee to become Honorary Members of the Club and Committee in a non-voting capacity.
It shall be competent for the Committee by a majority of those present and voting to suspend or expel any Member from the Club.
11. The Full Members of the Club shall have the power to elect Honorary Members who may enjoy the privileges of Full Members, but have no vote at General or Special meetings.
12. Temporary Members may join by payment of the prescribed fee for periods of ONE day or ONE week. Persons taking temporary membership more than TWICE in any Calendar Year will be expected to apply for Full Membership.
13. All Full, Family and Honorary Members, who wish to fly model aircraft, must be members of the British Model Flying Association. All Temporary Members who wish to fly model aircraft must produce a valid certificate of insurance.
14. This Constitution shall only be varied at a General Meeting as provided for above.
December 2006.
Transmitter Control

The regulations for the safe use of model radio control transmitters are set out in the Club Rules. Only transmitters on the Channels designated by the Radiocommunications Agency (RA) may be used. These tables show the latest channels available for model flying, at spring 2008.

35 MHz channel numbers
Identification is by orange flag with white channel numeral. Named PEG on Board.
Chan. No. Frequency Chan. No. Frequency Chan. No. Frequency
55 34.950 67 35.070 79 35.190
56 34.960 68 35.080 80 35.200
57 34.970 69 35.090 81 35.210
58 34.980 70 35.100 82 35.220
59 34.990 71 35.110 83 35.230
60 35.000 72 35.120 84 35.240
61 35.010 73 35.130 85 35.250
62 35.020 74 35.140 86 35.260
63 35.030 75 35.150 87 35.270
64 35.040 76 35.160 88 35.280
65 35.050 77 35.170 89 35.290
66 35.060 78 35.180 90 35.300

The 459 MHz UHF band
Identification will be by channel numeral. Named PEG on Board.
Chan. No. Frequency Chan. No. Frequency Chan. No. Frequency
1 458.525 14 458.850 27 459.175
2 458.550 15 458.875 28 459.200
3 458.575 16 458.900 29 459.225
4 458.600 17 458.925 30 459.250
5 458.625 18 458.950 31 459.275
6 458.650 19 458.975 32 459.300
7 458.675 20 459.000 33 459.325
8 458.700 21 459.025 34 459.350
9 458.725 22 459.050 35 459.375
10 458.750 23 459.075 36 459.400
11 458.775 24 459.100 37 459.425
12 458.800 25 459.125 38 459.450
13 458.825 26 459.150 39 459.475

2.4GHz band - covers the frequencies from 2.4000 to 2.4835GHz providing up to 80 channels with a maximum transmitter power of 100mW e.r.p. – has automatic frequency selection (no crystals required).
Black Na.med PEG on Board.

For telemetry - model to operator - 433.050 to 434.790MHz is available. For aircraft use, 434.025 to 434.775MHz is recommended.