A Very Big Room Full of Fun!
Stuart Taylor reports from this year’s BMFA School’s Challenge at Duxford.
Kids get bad press these days. Media comment speaks depressingly of gang culture, knife carrying, fatal stabbings, shootings, drug abuse, a.s.b.o.s. and anti-social behaviour. I wondered what my first attendance at the BMFA School’s Challenge might have in store as we drew up outside one of the T2 hangars at The Imperial War Museum at Duxford where the event was staged. T2 Hangars are huge - anything from 135’ to 270’10” long, 120’ wide with typical ceilings of 39’.
We were sharing the space with some lovely old aircraft – most notably an imposing De Havilland Rapide and a pristine Auster in red and silver - more of the Rapide’s role in the day’s proceedings later.
Volunteers were busily setting up 49 tables around the walls to accommodate the teams, comprising six youngsters each, expected to arrive.
I reported to the organisers and when we’d erected all the tables, decided to fly a couple of indoor models that just happened to find their way to the event with me.
Shortly after 10.30, school coaches began arriving and the young competitors, their teachers and, in the case of ATC squadrons, Commanding Officers, began bringing in and preparing their models.
The BMFA Challenge is open to people aged 7-18, in which teams are required to design, build and fly up to 4 different types of model aircraft.
There are three events – The Team Event - The Elite Class and, new this year, the Gyminnie Cricket event.
The Team Event has three age group categories and although the competition for each league is similar, the design element becomes more demanding as age increases.
- The Junior League for children up to and including year seven (age up to 12 years) where the teams are required to design and build a hand launch glider resembling a real aircraft, a BMFA rubber powered helicopter and a BMFA Dart.
- The Senior League for youngsters up to and including year nine (up to 14 years). Here teams are also required to build a HLG, a helicopter based on the BMFA helicopter design and a BMFA Dart.
- The Premier League for children up to and including year 11 (up to age 16). In the Premier the entrants are required to modify the BMFA helicopter and build an own design rubber powered aeroplane that uses BMFA Dart parts, but exceeds its performance.
The Elite Class is an individual competition for entrants up to age 18. The event is a pure duration competition and the models are individually designed by each entrant. The winner is determined by the longest single recorded flight recorded in a 45 minute time slot.
The Gyminnie Cricket Class is basically the same as the Elite Class, but the model flown is the standard BMFA Gyminnie Cricket kit.
The Actual Flying.
At around eleven, a pre-flight briefing was presented to all the teams and the contest commenced!
The teams have 30 minutes flying time. The models must be flown in strict rotation and their flight times recorded by two BMFA volunteers allocated to each team. The order of flight is: HLG – helicopter – Dart (or fixed wing rubber model).
Now this might sound simple, civilised and even sedate, but in practice results in what can best be described as exciting, manic organised mayhem as teams frantically wind, launch, recover and repair damaged aircraft, whilst trying to record as many, high duration flights in the all too short 30 minutes! Cooperation – teamwork and organisational skills are all essential if a team is to be successful.
Trophies are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in each age league and also for first place in the Elite and Gyminnie Cricket Classes. Any team which achieves the longest flight over 75 seconds is awarded a commemorative trophy and The David Oxborough Trophy is awarded to the team showing the most tenacity, as decided by the Competition Director.
Prizes of modelling equipment are also awarded….. And now the De Havilland Rapide comes back into the picture. Its owner was present on the day and he very kindly offered an additional prize to the winner of the Elite Class of a rare opportunity to have their picture taken at the controls of this beautiful vintage aeroplane!
Despite my initial comments of media reports of youth crime which are all too tragically true in today’s world. I am pleased to report at that at The School’s Challenge there was no anti-social behaviour – no hoodies – no drugs and no gangs. The only blades present were modelling knives and your’s truly didn’t end up with an asbo!
The BMFA Schools Challenge a great example of the great fun possible for everybody when adults - teachers, parents and youth leaders support youngsters in a constructive and exciting event like this!
Thanks to both the organisers and BMFA members who helped make this event such a resounding success! It was easy to tell everybody involved had a brilliant day and after a short prize giving, every competitor left the event with an individual trophy and a happy memory of a terrific day in a very big room full of FUN!