MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING - SA MODEL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION, HELD AT ACUITY ON WEDNESDAY 3 APRIL 2002

PRESENT
Bob Skinner Chairman, secretary, aerobatics
Johan Ehlers Vice-chairman, scale, safety
John Godwin SAMAA News, communications
Dave Armitage Proficiency, fun-fly, sunday flying
Joe Coetzer Soaring, constitution
Russell van der Westhuizen Pylon racing
Lesley Roberts Treasurer
André Beukes Helicopters
Boet Denysschen Jets
Ian Edwards Large aircraft and Large Scale Aerobatics

ABSENT Graham Swallow Control line

GUEST Eric Theron Helicopters

WELCOME The chairman welcomed committee members and guests to the meeting. Special welcome to Boet Denysschen who leads jet sub-committee.

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Distributed to committee members. Accepted without alterations.

FINANCES

Lesley Roberts tabled trial balance and age analysis. Last entries to be made for financial year-end. Advertising income improving, but difficulty in tracing origins with electronic funds transfer. Promotional expenses more. Increase in postage (Safety Code). Telephone call to Graham Swallow - confirms no control line team to Germany. Meeting approved split of team funds between F4 and F3J teams. Fun-fly Masters invoice not yet received. Trial audit by May meeting. New telephone number. Entry on SAMAA statement (Eagle Security) still unclaimed. R10K Aero Club affiliation fee cheque to chairman.

CONSTITUTION

Draft constitution posted on SAMAA website. Very few comments. Notice to be served in next issue of SAMAA News. Comments invited before 20 June so that final draft may be posted on website, and also made available in hard copy. Clause on dealers representation - 12 responses. Meeting necessary, so that dealers may elect two spokespeople.

SAFETY

Telephone call from radio service technician - concern over 10KHz spacing on 35MHz band. Would have sent letter to chairman. Nothing received to date. No serious problems reported, but imperative that adequate distance be maintained between pilots on flight line, to avoid interference problems. Helicopter, jets, and glider safety rules to be passed on to Johan Ehlers, for incorporation in next revision of Safety Code.

ADMINISTRATION

All in hand. Demise of Acuity may result in change of meeting venue. Andre Beukes will make tentative enquiries with Harry Wilesmith (Pickfords). Also means loss of equipment use. Some itams may have to be replaced. More discussion on merits of appointing full-time SAMAA secretary/treasurer and establishing an office. Current membership numbers necessitate more than volunteer efforts.

Minutes of WPAA committee meeting received. No response to request for minutes of 2001 WPAA AGM. Did AGM take place?

NATIONALS

Power: Very relaxed, enjoyable, smooth. Fair sporting result, despite judging complaint. No protests, no crashes. In spite of success, central venue (Bloemfontein) not popular. Very few entries ex Cape, E Cape, KZN, Northern Province, Mpumalanga. Free State, Gauteng and North West well represented. Good welcome party and two braai's. Catering good. Spit braai too informal for closing ceremony.

Glider: All in hand for Silverton. Large entry expected. W Cape entries sponsored by MGA/SAMAA.

Control line: No report.

Combined Pylon and LSMAA Nats at RMAC. No entries for Pylon yet. Large scale expects approximately 18 entries. All arrangements in hand.

Helicopter: Mini-Nats likely in November. Imperative that rules be ratified at SAC in July. Most rules existing already. Sportsman class (entry level) to be revived.

SAMAA News

Closing date for next issue - 20 April. All to supply material for publication. Chairman to supply notice of AGM, and details of proposals received to date.

DISPLAYS

Portfolio vacant. Each committee member to handle requests in the meantime.

AEROBATICS

Nats had good result, despite few entries. Sub-committee to be structured/modelled on MGA concept. Little activity in regions. Scores received from E Cape.

LARGE AIRCRAFT AND LARGE SCALE AEROBATICS

LSMAA event at Putfontein site had 11 entries. Next event 14 April at same site. All in hand.

FUN FLYING, PROFICIENCY, SUNDAY FLYING

Round 2 packages ready. Not all results of first round in.

Lots of enquiries for proficiency testing.

Dave Armitage presented leaflet ex BMFA. Committee to investigate. Did have PR leaflets about six years ago, but never distributed. Most dealers would be keen to include in kits, engine boxes, on counters.

SOARING/GLIDING

Minutes of MGA meeting of 25th March received electronically. SAMAA contribution to MGA/Nats gratefully acknowledged. MGA liaising with Comair for sponsorship. Fundraising drive for F3J team. Appointment of F3J team manager Rodney Goodrum ratified by committee. Substitution of Chris Adrian by Marcus van der Riet. G2K very active. General high level of soaring activity in all regions.

HELICOPTERS

14 March meeting to establish sub-committee (Model Helicopter Interest Group - MHIG). Minutes tabled by Andre Beukes. Technical meeting scheduled for 9th April.

SCALE

Small Nationals. Team members not in attendance due to preparations. All in hand. First reserve Neil Allen not available for F4C team to Canada. Brief report by chairman on CIAM scale matters. First round of Series Scale due in May. Many scale events on calendar (Warbirds, Scale fly-in 5 May; Zwartkop Scale 15/16/17 June).

CONTROL LINE

No report. Graham Swallow has not attended any meetings in 2002. Chairman to establish interest. C/L fraternity not represented presently. No input, no feedback.

PYLON RACING

Event in Durban/Noodsberg Polo field early March cancelled due to lack of interest. Same trend as event in Feb with only RVDW and Dion Le Roux attending. RVDW needs to find method of encouraging participation. Nats entries close 10 April.

JETS

Interest high in Gauteng, KZN, Western Cape and Mpumalanga. Need to devise team selection procedures before AGM in July. Adequate circulation needed before 20 June. Best option is for two team selection events - one in November, one in Feb/March. Best one to count. Clinic planned for September, to educate pilots in scale matters.

Jet World Masters committee elected. Plenty of up-front tasks already started. Likely date: 26 April to 4 May 2003, at Zwartkop AFB. Many volunteers required. Boet to supply John Godwin with details of IJMC site, to link to SAMAA website.

COMMUNICATIONS

John Godwin needs material/links to SAMAA site. Rules for various disciplines easily linked, if available electronically.

GENERAL

When new constitution becomes active, format of monthly meetings may have to change. Best format is reporting by sub-committees/SIG's on finances, policy, structures, communication, but only main points. Written reports to be submitted with more detail.

Vaal Gliding site to be registered. Chairman to action. Letter of permission needed from airport authority.

Unanimous approval for further R50K to be invested in 88-day call account.

Lesley Roberts not available after 2002 AGM as treasurer.

NEXT MEETING - WEDNESDAY 8 MAY 2002 AT PICKFORDS, CNR OF SECOND AND SETTER STREETS, COMMERCIA, MIDRAND - 19:30 FOR 19:45.