Indoor Flying

The Venues

Pylon Racing Model Plan

The Venues

Indoor R/C flying events are held in the Main Hall, Havant Leisure Centre, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hants.

Indoor F/F flying events are held in the Main Hall, Wickham Community Centre, Mill Lane, Wickham, Hants.

All events are supported by the BMFA Southern Area.

The Main Hall at Havant Leisure Centre is an eight badminton court size sportshall. A bar which overlooks the Main Hall is situated on the upper floor, enabling thirsty modellers to watch the flying whilst they take their refreshment.

Wickham Community Centre

The Main Hall at Wickham Community Centre has a floor area of 3980 square feet. The ceiling is high, with few obstructions to cause models to hang up. The centre has tables and chairs which are arranged in the hall to suit. Light refreshments are available throughout the evening.

Wickham Community Centre Main Hall
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R/C Details

Admission to the R/C meetings will be £6 for adult fliers and £1 for adult spectators. Junior fliers are charged as adult spectators, whilst accompanied junior spectators will be admitted free.

Experience from previous indoor R/C meetings has shown that five models of a similar type can be safely flown simultaneously in the hall, provided that left or right hand circuits are agreed beforehand by all pilots. Models up to Pico-stick size can be flown safely. Helicopters are generally flown in a corner of the hall away from the fixed-wing aircraft. Slots can be made available for several helicopter fliers to have use of the whole hall if required.

The organisers reserve the right to ban any model deemed unsuitable for flight in the hall. If, in the opinion of the organisers, an individual cannot control his model safely, he will be required to stop flying. This is on the grounds of safety.

Flitehook attend the majority of R/C meetings.

No free flight models may be flown at indoor R/C events.

See Future Events for dates and times of forthcoming meetings.

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Free Flight Details

Admission to the free flight meetings will be £4 for adult fliers and £1 for junior fliers. Wives/partners and accompanied junior spectators will be admitted free.

The organisers reserve the right to ban any model deemed unsuitable for flight in the hall.

Flitehook, who carry a large stock of indoor models and accessories, will usually attend the free flight meetings.

No R/C models may be flown at indoor free flight events.

See Future Events for dates and times of forthcoming meetings.

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R/C Etiquette

These rules have been drafted to ensure that Indoor R/C Flying at Eastleigh is carried out in a safe manner.

1. Before your first flight, each transmitter must be checked against the scanner for correct frequency. After this check is complete, the transmitter must be logged in with the frequency controller and left in the transmitter pound.

2. Transmitters will only be released from the transmitter pound for flying when both the correct frequency peg and one of the red flight pegs are available. The red flight pegs are used to control the number of models in the air at one time.

3. The pegboard operates on a "peg-off" system. Before switching your transmitter on, please ensure you attach the correct frequency peg and a red flight peg to your aerial.

4. Do not extend the transmitter aerial fully until you are standing in the pilots' box.

5. All pilots must be standing in the pilots' box (marked by four cones) to fly. Pilots must not leave the pilots' box to retrieve models with transmitters switched on.

6. When more than two models are in the air, all pilots should fly left hand circuits. By the agreement of all pilots this can be changed to right hand circuits. Pilots should not fly mixed left and right hand circuits at the same time. (Note - Shock fliers generally do not fly circuits, but care must be taken to avoid mid-air collisions).

7. On completion of your flight, please return all pegs and your transmitter promptly to the frequency controller to enable other fliers to take their turn.

8. If you wish to set your model up, you should ask the frequency controller for your transmitter and the appropriate frequency peg only. Whilst setting up your model do not extend your aerial fully unless you are adjacent to the pilots' box. Whilst setting up your model and/or connecting the flight pack please ensure the model is pointed away from the spectators' area. On completion of setting up, your transmitter and the associated frequency peg must be returned to the frequency controller promptly.

9. Flight times are limited to a maximum of 5 minutes to allow all pilots a reasonable number of flights.

10. In general, the maximum number of fixed-wing models flying at any one time will be limited to five. This limit may be varied at the frequency controller's discretion.

11. In the event of any dispute, the frequency controller's decision is final.

Note These rules are provisional and may be updated as events take place.

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F/F Etiquette

1. Please keep the centre of the floor clear - for other fliers.

2. Launch from the outside of your expected flight pattern, and leave the centre open for other flights.

3. Walk round the hall rather than across.

4. Retrieve from the nearest edge - even if a long walk is involved. You get to see everyone's hanger that way.

5. Please walk slowly. Just the draft is enough to upset a flight. (This especially applies to children. Please try to calm their (understandable) excitement.) If anyone treads on a labour of love it is upsetting, and it can, and does, happen by accident, but should not happen through thoughtlessness.

6. Look out for other planes at all times and especially whilst launching - shooting down is not funny, and especially not when it is easily avoided.

7. Most important of all. - Have FUN, and help the others have FUN too.

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R/C Competitions

Limbo Competition

The limbo bar will be set to an intial height. All fliers wishing to compete will then attempt to fly below the bar and between the suppports. Any flier whose model touches the supports or ground, or dislodges the bar, whilst attempting to pass under the bar will be eliminated from the competition.

Successive rounds will be flown with the limbo bar being lowered at the end of each round. The winner of the competition will be the only flier in the competition to successfully fly under the bar at one set bar height.

Carrier Deck Task Competition

1. The carrier deck task competition is open to all fixed wing model aircraft with an undercarriage.

2. The flight deck shall comprise a marked area on the floor in line with the centre of the pilots' box and a suitable distance in front of it.

3. The competition has three phases, which shall be completed within one flight. The phases are take-off and high-speed run, low-speed run, and landing. During all three phases the pilot is to stand in the pilots' box.

4. Phase 1 - Take-off and High-Speed Run.

This phase commences with the aircraft placed in line with the flight deck in front of the pilots' box. The pilot takes off and moves straight into high-speed mode, flying 2 complete circuits anti-clockwise around the pylons. This phase is timed.

5. Phase 2 - Low-Speed Run

As the pilot completes the first phase, the second phase starts. The pilot throttles back to low speed and flies a further two circuits anti-clockwise around the pylons. This phase is also timed. During this phase the model must make continuous forward progress at a constant height. Any attempt to perform hovering flight will result in disqualification.

6. Phase 3 - Landing

At the end of the low speed run the pilot may make one circuit of the flight deck before attempting a landing. One aborted landing attempt is permitted, providing that the model does not touch the ground. Once the model's main wheels have touched the flight deck, no further attempt is permitted.

7. Scoring

Phase 1 - the number of points scored is equal to (100 - number of seconds to complete phase 1). Timing shall be to the next complete second (e.g. 25.4 seconds scores 74 points)

Phase 2 - the number of points scored is equal to the number of seconds to complete phase 2. Timing shall be to the next complete second (e.g. 55.4 seconds scores 56 points).

Phase 3 - if any part of the model touches the ground at any time during this phase 0 points are scored.

if the model bounces on the flight deck, or progresses along the flight deck in a series of bounces, 25 points are scored.
if the model runs along the flight deck, but has to take off to avoid running off the end of the flight deck, 50 points are scored.
if the model lands on the deck and stops its landing run wholly on the deck on its undercarriage, 100 points are scored. If the model does not stay on its undercarriage 50 points are scored.

Any scale model of a carrier borne aircraft will be awarded a bonus of 50 points.

8. Disqualification

Any model which flies inside the pylons during the timed phases of the flight will be disqualified and shall score 0 points for the flight.
Any model which touches any wall, the ceiling (or its structure) or ground (except when attempting a landing) will be disqualified and shall score 0 points for the flight.
Any model which flies behind the front of the pilots' box will be disqualified and shall score 0 points for the flight.

9. The winner shall be the pilot whose model scores the most points. In the event of a tie for first or second place, a fly off shall take place. The fly off comprises a take-off in front of the pilots' box, followed by a landing on the next circuit. Only the landing will be scored.

Scale Competition

1. Models entered in this competition shall be scale replicas of full-size aircraft.

2. Competition entrants shall not be limited to one model.

3. Each entrant shall provide a photograph of an example of the full size aircraft type modelled (not necessarily the example entered).

4. To qualify for the competition, the model must complete the following schedule:

Take off from in front of the pilots' box. Models without an undercarriage may be hand-launched.
Complete two left hand circuits.
Complete two right hand circuits
Land in front of the pilots' box

Note: the right hand circuits may be flown before the left hand circuits.

5. The panel of judges will select the winning model on a subjective basis.

Pylon Racing Competition

1. The competition is open to all types of indoor R/C model.

2. The competition will be divided into classes to ensure that similar types of model race against each other. The classes shall include, but need not be limited to, IFO class, semi-scale monoplane/biplane class, and open. The organisers will finalise the classes on the evening once the number and type of entrants is known.

3. There will be a maximum of three models in each race. Where more than three models are entered in a class, heats will be flown, and the winner of each will progress to the next round.

4. Each race will be run over 5 laps of a course marked by 2 pylons. The winner will be the first model to complete the five laps and cross the start/finish line. As each model completes the course it should either land or fly in an area clear of the racing area.

5. The models shall start from the start/finish line in front of the pilots' box. Any model starting before the "start" command shall incur a penalty of 10 seconds on its race time.

6. Any model cutting a pylon shall be required to fly round the pylon again.

7. Any pilot intentionally causing a collision will be disqualified.

Note The organisers reserve the right to modify these rules before or on the date of the competition.

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