RAF CHURCH FENTON.
BMFA Northern Area report that RAF Church Fenton is closed until further notice due to foot and mouth restrictions. This will affect all Northern Area events on the airfield, especially the Wednesday evening Free Flight and R/C sessions. No other venues are available so this situation will remain until the restrictions are lifted.
Postponement:
Apr 29 BMFA R/C Aerobatics 1st Centralised Team Selection Event. Organised by GBRCAA. Mansfield (Moved from April 8th at Wittering).
Contact Bill Harrop on 01260 279227

FREE FLIGHT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
26,27,28 MAY 2001 POSTPONEMENT
Following consultation with the MOD Defence Estates Office, MAFF and the veterinary service, we have decided to postpone the 2001 Free Flight National Championships until further notice because of the foot and mouth outbreak. Undoubtedly, this will come as a disappointment to many of you but on balance we believe this is the most sensible decision under the circumstances.

Foot and mouth disease is not in Lincolnshire at this time and we as a responsible organisation must do everything to ensure it remains that way. Our continuing use of RAF Barkston Heath depends entirely upon the co-operation of the Officer Commanding and the goodwill of the farmers in the area. To proceed with the Championships could irretrievably damage this relationship which would jeopardise our future use of this valuable site. We must also be mindful of how the local press and population would view us bringing persons from all over the country to a non-infected area and the repercussions should the disease break out subsequently.

The Free Flight Technical Committee will be working on alternative plans to hold the Championships later in the year, but these will be subject to the foot and mouth disease situation. We will keep you informed of any decisions through the BMFA News, Club Bulletins and the BMFA Website.

In order to compensate for the postponement a Free Flight Convention has been arranged by John O'Donnell on Sunday the 27 May 2001 at the King's Head Hotel in Grantham, details of which are enclosed. This promises to be an interesting day out so please let your members know about it.

MALVERN HILLS
There had been a hope that the Northern end of the MALVERN HILLS might reopen following a risk assessment. It has been decided that a further survey is needed, so access to the hills is still prohibited.

Free Flight
Chobham Common has now been re-opened to model flying, with some restrictions due to nesting birds, which is unconnected with the foot and mouth.

Free Flight Contests at Newbigging in Scotland
We have assured the farmers at Newbigging that we will be staying off the moor until the outbreak is over. Over the past three weeks it appeared that the spread of the infection had been held at a point 40 miles South of Newbigging. Yesterday ( Saturday 7th April ) there was a new outbreak at Jedburgh in the borders which was previously uneffected. Any growing confidence has been squashed.

It is now certain that there will be no flying in May.

When flying does restart, even if this was unexpectedly in June, we would not wish our first outing to be the largest meeting of the season as the farmers will still be feeling insecure. The Scottish Free Flight Nationals ( June 23/24 ) are therefore rescheduled to the weekend of 8/9 September (these dates were previously booked for Paisley Trophy and Cranfield which will now be either cancelled or rescheduled )

The PFA National Rally at Cranfield, scheduled for first weekend July, has been cancelled because of F&M Disease concerns.
(See www.flyingsites.co.uk/news/pfa.htm for more details. Ed).

The BMFA will be monitoring the situation very closely and will notify members of any further developments. When further information is available it will be on the website and in the BMFA News. Many model flying events in the UK will be postponed or cancelled and we recommend that you double check with event organisers before travelling anywhere.

Click here for a full list of events which are already affected.

When further information is available it will be on the BMFA web site and in the BMFA News.