There is a lot of information to absorb both here and elsewhere on the internet. Please feel free to supplement what we have provided in these ‘Learning to Fly’ pages by visiting the guys at the field, who will be more than willing to answer any questions, and by coming along to our monthly club meetings. You don’t have to be a member to come along to our club meetings and it is a great way to meet the other members and learn more about the club and its activities.
Read on for more details about where we fly, flying times, club meetings and how to join the club.
Learning to fly aero models can be an exciting start to a fascinating life-long hobby, or it can be a costly and frustrating exercise if the beginner does not get on the right track. As with most hobbies and sports, the key to success is getting the right gear and advice from the word Go!
The best way to get this is to join the club, you will receive a warm welcome, will get lots of free helpful advice, and you will enjoy free instruction with a certified instructor. Go to our ‘Join WMAC’ page in the ‘About Us’ tab for more details on how to become a club member.
We will advise you on the right type of model to start with (VERY IMPORTANT!), the right type of power (glow or electric), and recommend radio gear appropriate to your aims and your budget.
The main purpose is to stop beginners from wasting money buying unsuitable equipment and ending up frustrated. So don’t be shy, come and see us before purchasing anything. This is doubly important with second hand gear.
The best time to visit the field if you are wanting more information is on a Sunday, mid morning is usually a good time. Or you can leave a message in the ‘Contact Us’ section (go to the ‘About Us’ tab, then the ‘Contact Us’ page, scroll down to the bottom of the page, select a contact and leave us a message) to make sure someone will be there to meet you. Being an outdoor activity, flying is of course a weather dependent activity.
Note that our main flying site is Seddon Field rifle range at Trentham and we share this facility with a number of rifle clubs as well as the New Zealand Army. This means that from time to time shooting may take place on the range on Sunday’s meaning that the club cannot fly on those days. So it pays to check the ‘Meeting and Events’ page under the ‘Where – When’ tab to make sure we are booked to fly before you visit the range. Also in the ‘Where – When’ tab is the link to the Trentham Weather Station, there you will find a live camera picture of the field (scroll down). If we have a field booking and there are vehicles down by the white hut on the right hand side, then there are flyers there.
See the ‘Where We Fly’ page on our website (click on the ‘Where – When tab) for details of the location of Seddon Field and how to get there.
Another option for finding out more about the club and learning to fly is to attend one of our monthly club meetings. The Club meets at 8pm on the last Wednesday of each month (except November and December) at the Belmont Memorial Hall, Lower Hutt. Meetings are informal and usually have a particular focus, a guest speaker or workshop session. Belmont Memorial Hall is situated adjacent to the eastern side of State Highway 2 (Western Hutt Road) and next to Belmont School. Please note: Vehicle access to the hall parking area is from Fairway Drive, not SH 2.
