Club
Rules
BRIGHTON RADIO FLYING CLUB
Affiliated to the British Model Flying Association. Club No 561
CLUB RULES
The club rules are in three sections: General, Administration and Flying
Section 1 (General)
1. The Club
will be affiliated to the “British Model Flying Association” as from the first
day of January 1993. It is a condition of membership that all Members of this
club are members of the British Model Flying Association.
2. The Committee of the Brighton Radio Flying Club shall consist of a Chairman,
a Vice-Chairman, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer and three
Committee Members.
3. Applicants will be accepted from outside our area up to a limit of eighty
members, twenty memberships being held in reserve for Brighton and Hove
residents. The Committee will give priority to applicants who do not hold
membership of another club. Any member who leaves the area shall be entitled to
retain and renew his/her membership. The Committee reserves the right to refuse
any application for membership.
4. All applicants for membership will be required to attend a monthly club
meeting before being formally accepted. The applicant will be given the
opportunity to prove his/her competence to fly or to arrange tuition.
5. Vehicles are not permitted on the field at any time, unless carrying out club
business, or with the permission of the Committee as a whole.
6. Members are expected to observe the rules of the countryside and avoid any
damage to adjoining farmland. No debris shall be left on the flying site,
adjoining farmland or car park.
7.Members can gain access to the flying field only by obtaining a set of keys
requiring the payment of a non-returnable joining fee. The keys remain the
property of the BRFC and should be returned on termination of membership.
(Members who joined prior to 2006 remain entitled to the return of their £30 key
deposit) The key is not transferable and is not to be copied. When entering or
leaving the car park, members MUST lock the gate behind them at all times. No
parking is permitted outside the gate. Members are welcome to bring along their
families or friends, but are requested to use one car to avoid congestion. No
pets are permitted on the flying site.
8. Members elected to the Committee will not hold office on any committee of any
other model flying club.
9. The Club will not be used for the furtherance of commercial gain or any other
commercial activities.
Section 2. (Administration)
1.
The Club annual subscription shall be determined and approved at the “Annual
General Meeting” and shall include the rental of the flying field. New members
will be levied a joining fee, also to be determined at the “Annual General
Meeting” . Subscriptions shall fall due on the first day of December, and must
be paid in full by the February club meeting of the following year. Failure to
do so will forfeit membership and the ex-member will be required to re-apply to
the Committee for re-election and will be levied the joining fee.
2. There are four categories of members within the Club. All members will pay
the annual BMFA fee.
-Senior Members (65 years and over) will pay 50% of the Club annual
subscription.
-Junior Members (Up to 18 years) will pay 33.3% of the Club annual subscription.
-Student Members (over 18 years but still in full time education) will pay 33.3%
of the Club annual subscription.
-Full Members (18 – 65 years) will pay the full Club annual subscription.
All categories of membership will have full voting rights at club meetings.
Children of club members, providing those children are under 10 years of age,
are entitled to free membership. They will also be required to hold membership
of the BMFA.
3. The “Club Annual General Meeting” will be held in November of each year.
4. An “Extraordinary General Meeting” may be called by the Committee, or not
less than 25% of the members of the Club with voting rights. At least 28 days
notice in writing shall be given to the Honorary Secretary, who in turn shall
give members at least 14 days notice in writing of the meeting and the agenda.
No other business will be transacted at the “EGM”.
5. The quorum for the Committee shall consist of six members. In the absence of
a quorum, business may be dealt with, but any decisions taken shall only become
valid after ratification at the next meeting at which a full quorum exists.
6. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members to the Committee without
recourse to a general club ballot.
7. The City Council of Brighton and Hove require at least three named trustees
to sign the lease for the field. They shall be the current Chairman,
Vice-Chairman and the Honorary Treasurer.
Section 3 (Flying)
The following rules and conditions were formulated for the flying of powered model aircraft at the Saddlescombe Road flying site.
It is essential to flying site safety that the following rules are strictly adhered to.
1. All members are strictly forbidden from flying on any other land that is
managed or owned by the City of Brighton and Hove.
2. Only members of the Brighton Radio Flying Club are permitted to fly at the
site, subject to certain conditions (see flying rules No. 18 and 19).
3. No member shall fly from the site unless (a) he/she holds a Club competence
certificate, known as a “Permit to Fly” card or (b) he/she is accompanied by a
competence certificate (Permit to Fly) holder. The permit holder must be 16
years of age or over and have held a permit to fly for a minimum of six months.
All such certificates (cards) together with membership cards shall be displayed
on the member’s flight box. (See 3B special requirements for operation of Model
Gas Turbines).
3A Junior and Vulnerable Adult members shall only visit the site if accompanied
by a Parent, Guardian or Responsible adult who has the written permission to
bring them to the field and to supervise them. This rule applies whether the
junior or vulnerable adult member is a permit holder or not.
3B.Gas
turbines are to be operated in accordance with BMFA Code of Practice for Safe
Operation of Model Gas Turbines (a copy of which can be obtained from the BMFA
or the Committee) together with the following rules, which are specific to the
Saddlescombe flying site.
a) The operator must be the holder of a BMFA ‘B’ certicicate.
b) Solo operation is not permitted i.e. At least two people must attend to operate, both of which must be competent flyers.
c) A Carbon Dioxide fire extinguisher must be on stand-by at all times.
d) Testing or starting up shall take place only in the designated area where models must be pointed into
wind and mechanically restrained at all times.
e) Immediately prior to take off a range check should be made with the model being restrained by the helper.
f) All other aircraft present, whether I.C. or Gas Turbine will be grounded with radios off during any flight or flights.
g) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL A TAKE OFF BE PERMITTED IN AN
EASTERLEY DIRECTION i.e. TOWARDS SADDLESCOMBE ROAD.
Rules a) to g) above will be subject to periodic reassessment.
4. Recognisable
frequency numbers or numbered coloured pennants must be displayed on
transmitters at all times. Anyone without, will not be permitted to fly. Those
using 2.4 KHz radio must display a black ribbon pennant.
5. Each member will be provided with a blank frequency tag (4”x 21/2” with ½”
hole, top centre), which is to be marked with the member’s frequency number and
name. Each tag must ONLY BE USED FOR ONE frequency number. If the member uses
more then one frequency, then a separate tag for each frequency must be used.
A member’s current frequency tag must be placed on the frequency board before
switching on their transmitter, and if sharing a frequency with others, the tag
must be hung on their transmitter when not in use.
Members operating on 2.4 MHz will be provided with a white tag, on which they
must display their name and attach it to the black board above the frequency
board.
6. There is no flying beyond the eastern boundary fence or a line extended
through that fence of the Club’s Flying site. (see diagram)
7. All taking off and landing must take place within the designated area. (see
diagram)
8. All engines must be effectively silenced down to 80 db. The readings to be
taken from a distance of 7metres at four equally spaced points. (The average of
the four readings will be accepted).
9. All I.C. engine powered and electric powered fixed wing aircraft, but
excluding electric powered hand lunched planes, must be mechanically restrained
and facing the strip whilst being started. When started they must be physically
restrained at all times until over the safety line, and upon returning to the
pits must not be taxied over this line.
10. The purpose of the lines will be adhered to at all times(i.e. Safety zone,
Pilot area and pits as shown in the diagram)
11. All radio equipment will be type approved for use within the UK and will
carry a CE mark or a BMFA Type Approval Certificate.
12. Priority will be given to helicopter flyers up to 10.00 am seven days a week
At other times helicopter permit holders are permitted to fly circuits alongside
fixed wing aircraft, provided all flyers present at the time agree.
13. Flying at the site is only permitted during daylight hours.
14. No more than eight aircraft will be permitted to fly at any one time.
15. The Committee member or Committee members, when present at the field will be
responsible for the safety of the site. Anyone flying after the Committee
member(s) have, for any reason closed the field, will be banned for one calendar
month. This penalty will also cover any other infringement of the Clubs rules.
16. Members shall not climb over the barbed wire perimeter fences under any
circumstances. To gain access to models landing outside the flying field,
members must use the folding steps provided adjacent to the toilet area at the
western edge of the flying field. If the model is beyond the next fence the
steps can be unhooked from the fence post and carried across.
17. Should a serious incident occur involving people, property or animals, the
member involved in the incident must IMMEDIATELY inform a Committee member and
give details.
18. The Committee may from time to time invite another club to the field to fly
in an event. The Committee must be satisfied that the other club are affiliated
to the BMFA and carry BMFA insurance. Any such event shall be run strictly in
accordance with BRFC rules. The Committee may invite on June, July or August
club nights a guest or guest fliers for demonstrations or entertainment
purposes.
19. At the Committee’s discretion a member is occasionally entitled to bring a
guest to fly at the field for the day, subject to the following conditions:- a)
A Committee member’s approval must be obtained beforehand. b) The guest flyer
must be accompanied by the host member. c) The host member will be held
responsible for the guest flyer’s conduct to ensure compliance with BRFC rules.
d) The guest will be required to produce proof of BMFA insurance with a minimum
of an “A” certificate.
20. Club BMFA Examiners and BMFA registered Instructors are authorised to
conduct the Club “Permit to Fly” test in addition to Club Committee members. An
examining group will consist of :-
EITHER One committee member and two examiner/instructors
OR Two committee members and one examiner/instructor
21. Due to
frequency clashes, and some reported accidents at the Sussex Model Club flying
site at Coombes, no radio controlled model flying, by any member, is to be
undertaken at Steyning Bowl.
22. All mobile telephones inside the flying area, that area bounded by the
rabbit proof fence, must be switched off at all times. Any mobile phones that
need to remain switched on must be placed in the rack provided beside the
entrance gate to the pits and flying area.
23. To minimise the risk of fire, smoking and the use of naked flames is not permitted within the pits area. (Smoking is permitted in the seating area behind the pits)
24. Any infringement of these rules and conditions shall bear serious
consequences and disciplinary action will be taken against any member flying in
an irresponsible manner. The alleged offender shall in all cases be given a fair
hearing. In all cases the Committee’s decision will be final.
These Rules dated 23rd November 2007 supersede all previous rules.