Club DetailsCronulla Model Aero Club (CMAC) is a thriving areomodelling club with grounds on the south-eastern outskirts of suburban Sydney. This page contains a condensed history of the club, as well as a summary of current activities and details of how to contact us, or drop in for a visit. Please read on and enjoy your visit. A Condensed HistoryThe origins of Cronulla Model Aero Club (CMAC) are a little indistinct…..It is known, however, that a group of fellows began building and flying control line models in the 50’s and used school playgrounds in and around the Cronulla area. It is also a matter of record that a club was formed in 1959 and, because flying venues were in Cronulla, it naturally followed that the club should reflect those origins in its name. Whilst it is dangerous to name particular people in a document such as this, it would be remiss of me to exclude reference to a couple of people who got the club started and were of considerable force in its continuation and prosperity in the early days. I refer in particular to two people; one was the late Stanley Burrows who was perhaps the prime mover in the formation of the club and was no doubt its principal mentor during the formative years. Stan Burrows provided facilities for members to meet, was a tower of strength to beginners and seasoned modellers alike and was on hand each flying day with a stock of essential bits and pieces which he provided at minimum cost. The other was William (Bill) Edwards whose profile is here. The advent of radio control, albeit somewhat prehistoric when compared with modern systems, attracted many members who delighted in dabbling in things like reed valves, escapements and the like which comprised early radio "control". When proportional radio hit the scene it soon became apparent that school-yards and local parks had been superseded and the need arose to seek an appropriate venue for the new-found freedom of radio control operation. Several criteria had to be considered when the location of a flying field was deliberated. Firstly, it must be close enough to afford reasonable access; it must be sufficiently removed from habitation to provide a noise barrier and it must offer reasonable terrain for model operation. It would be Utopia, of course, to marry those criteria in the Sydney area and compromise was necessary. The club therefore negotiated with the then Department of Lands to obtain a lease on a piece of land "out in the bush" adjacent to Heathcote Road, Menai and that venue has been our "home" since 1970. Because of its gravel airstrip it was affectionately known as "Bedrock" for many years until it was renamed "The Bill Edwards Memorial Field" following the death of one of our favourite sons a few years ago. The location of the field is described here. Club ActivitiesCMAC comprises "Sunday Fliers" in the majority although a few members enjoy competition flying and compete in Old Timer and Pylon events. Additionally, there remains one or two control-line enthusiasts who compete in State and National competition. The club encourages new recruits and boasts several accredited instructors to assist them in the early stages. In that regard, a period of two hours each Saturday morning is set aside for instruction of beginners and during that time novices have precedence in the use of facilities to the extent that if tuition is in progress other flying operations are restricted or suspended. Such an arrangement instils confidence in the newcomer who doesn’t have to compete for flying space with local hotshots boring holes in the sky around him. Visitors to the field are always welcome and can look forward to flying with us provided they are members of an affiliated club, have a current FAI licence and their radios have been certified regarding bandwidth within the previous two years.
As mentioned above, CMAC’s field is a gravel surface which is graded and rolled as necessary to provide a reasonable flying surface. The strip is about 220 metres long and about 40 metres wide with cross-strip facilities if the wind is really off. Under-cover shelter is available, as is toilet facilities and the pit area is provided with ground cover to protect models. The field is available to members at all times but flying occurs principally on Saturdays and Sundays. Where are we?CMAC’s Bill Edwards Field is located off Heathcote Road, Menai (UBD 29th Edition...Ref P11 on Map 310 ). When approaching from the South, the entrance gate is almost exactly 6 Km after the intersection of Heathcote Road and New Illawarra Road or, alternatively, from the other direction, about 4Km from Deadman’s Creek Bridge.
The Aeromodeller Registration SystemSeveral years ago, CMAC had a custom-built computer application developed to manage membership details. This program, which is called ARS for lack of anything meaningful, has grown through several versions to be a very useful tool. CMAC is offering this program to other non-profitmaking aeromodelling clubs on an as-is basis. ARS is designed for Windows95/98. A PC with about 5Mb free hard disk space is required. Please contact the Secretary for more details. Contact InformationThe Club's Secretary will be happy to provide further information regarding the club and its activities. Please contact him via one of the methods detailed here. |
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Text by CMAC |
