Team Update #12 - Donations, Planes & Markings

The team would like to thank the fine folks at RCFCBC for their generous donation towards our upcoming trip.   Whether it's a club, company or personal donation, they are all greatly appreciated!!!  Check out the club's website at https://www.rcfcbc.ca/

Chad has been hard at work getting his Nexus #2 ready for flight. This is his backup airframe that he will take to Australia. What an amazing result after using rattle cans to apply his legendary paint scheme! Looks great!

 

Michi will head up island this weekend to fly at the Comox Valley site. I've loaned him some batteries (mine are just sitting around these days!) that will allow a larger practice window for him without having to manage batteries.  

Plane Markings - Also some changes to the way we need to mark our air frames for the upcoming competition. In the past, it's been the country code followed by our personal MAAC number but now it is Country Code and then your FAI ID Number (that is found on your FAI license).  New decals being cut now! :-)

Team Update #11 - Donations

What an amazing community we live in! Last evening I received an email from long time flyer, fellow club member and friend, Steve Lyne. Steve and Maria had been away on a huge European vacation and wanted, once again, to support the team with a donation.  They came through with flying colors and we thank them for this support. Simply fantastic!

With the hobby hobbled by Transport Canada regulations, the lack of interest in anything radio control has been quite evident.  Our part of the hobby, precision aerobatics (along with sailplanes) has been the hardest hit with the 400' ceiling. Any support, however small, is greatly appreciated!

If you or anyone you know is interested in making a donation towards our efforts please contact me for details.  dave.reaville@gmail.com

Team Update #10 - RCAA Comox Valley rocks!!

The great RC community has come together to help support one of our team members. Michi Akimoto had been delt a brutal hand, first by the loss of the exemption and subsequent implementation of Transport Canada's rules governing RPAS which in turn caused the complete loss of flying privileges at his local club in Victoria. 

Not to be outdone by this impediment, he contacted the PDQ flyers, became a member & arranged for weekend accommodation. For a brief period, this allowed him to continue to practice but sadly, due to heat and the heightened fire situation in the area, the PDQ field was recently shut down. Not to be deterred again, he contacted the folks up in Comox and paid them a visit to see the club setup (it’s actually a dual purpose RC and full scale aerodrome!). After some back and forth messages between myself and Mike McCrindle, the club exec of the RCAA Comox Valley offered Michi full access to their facility in order to practice for the upcoming Worlds in Australia!!! 

 It will require some local orientation and training of procedures but this small gesture on the clubs part, means a great deal to Michi, the team and highlights the brotherhood of the rc community in which we live. Simply fantastic! 

 I suspect that some demonstrations of precision aerobatics will be coming soon the the Comox Valley! Maybe even get some guys out for the Sportsman level!

Please take some time and check out their web page at  https://rcaa.ca/

 

Team Update #9 - Boise/Comox

 In late June, Michi headed off to Boise, Idaho for the Treasure Valley Pattern Contest in NSRCA's District 8. He went by himself as he is trying to get as much flying in as possible. He had a good time with the boys down there and enjoyed the trip. 

 

 With his local club shut down due to airspace issues and his back up club, the Parksville District and Qualicum Flyers (PDQ) field, also forced to close due to a heightened fire threat, he has stretched his drive time to include the folks up in Comox, BC at the RCAA Flying site.  Website here.... https://rcaa.ca/

 

Michi at RCAA

 

It has certainly been a tough go for him on the island. With a little more than a month until departure to Australia, he is doing his best to prepare. Both Chad and Henry have been able to use their home fields to facilitate practice.

 

Storm about to chase Chad home!

Team Update #8

 Preparations continue as team member practice (as best they can) under the (new to us) limitations set by Transport Canada for RPAS operations.  Both Michi and Henry managed to get some much needed competition flying in Redmond, Oregon and Chad has been practicing in the Red Deer area where his family's "summer retreat" is located. It must be good because his neighbor is Will Gross & family!

As we wrap up our fundraising efforts, we would like to thank all those that helped out in the endeavor. It is greatly appreciated. We will be taking down the donation links and archiving the auction site shortly.

Entry paperwork is all completed, flights booked, rental cars done, accommodation arranged and we just submitted our team clothing order to our supplier. We will be looking sharp!

Looks like more downward pressure on our F3A flying as Australia is introducing Remote ID to their country's airspace along with it's accompanying "limitations".  Look to the USA and their airspace restrictions/requirements as a guide to the new world we will operating in. Hard to say what the impact will be on our "operations" but sadly, it is not looking promising.

Just in!!! A huge shout out to Dan Venables for his monetary donation to the team! Thanks for the support Dan!

Team Update #7 - Entry Complete!

 The deadline for submitting entries has now passed for the upcoming World Championships in Australia.
To date, according to the official website, we have 19 countries represented by 51 competitors. This is a bit light compared to previous World Championships but I am quite certain that those attending will be giving every effort.

After some issues with our wire transfer, Team Canada successfully submitted the entry & payment.  I have also sent along our team members & helpers bios and pictures (well most of them anyway!)

For those interested, the main website for the event is at https://f3a.com.au/2023wch/  and looks to feature live scoring and updates... this will be a great way for those folks unable to attend to follow along with the action. Might even be some live streams?? 

With Michi's home RC field closed due to airspace restrictions, both he and Henry headed off to the States for the High Desert Pattern Classic in Redmond, OR. This is a great opportunity to get some decent practice and competition under their belts.... besides the District 8 guys are always great to fly with!  Hopefully I'll get some pictures at some point.

Uniform's are next on my list of To Do items. That is it for now.

Team Update #6 - Final Auction

Hi folks

As mentioned on our team’s Facebook page, we wrapped up our monthly fundraising auction in Victoria last night.  Congratulations to Wayne Powell on winning the Corsair Print donated by the PDQ Flyers and to Paul Nazaroff for his winning bid on the 88” Yak 55 donated by former Canadian F3A Team Pilot Mark Byrne.  

Some additional items were up for grabs by “open donation” and the team would like to thank Lawrence Lewis and Al Vandergroot for their donations!   New club member Allen Paul made a cash donation as well. Thanks guys!!!.

We are still awaiting Bulletin #2 from the organizers but planning is ongoing. Several of us have booked flights and accommodations in Warwick and we are preparing to get some uniform plans into place over the next few weeks. I have all the aircraft documents and elusive FAI stickers in my hands now!!

Henry has been busy with his Apollo build https://www.facebook.com/henry.piorun and has managed to get out flying as well. Not sure what he is planning to use as his primary & backup just yet… proof is in the pudding I suspect.

Michi has been up to PDQ in Parksville and had some flights on his Akuma. He has also received a second VLV unit for his backup Excess Bipe. With the shutdown of our VRCMS field, Michi has been piling on the kilometers with numerous trips up island. Have to do it!  

Chad has booked flights and is bring along the whole family for this trip. With Will also bring his family along it should be a lot of fun for the kids… I hope… because we will be at the practice field most of the time lol  

Almost forgot… in keeping with the spirit of support for our National F3A Team, the Victoria Radio Control Modelers Society (VRCMS) has made a donation towards the teams expenses. These funds were previously raised and held since 2019 for the promotion and running of future Precision Aerobatic events but with that not happening anytime soon, the funds were repurposed as a donation from both the Fathers Day VRCMS Contest and the BC Precision Aerobatics Contest.
   

More news when it happens!..