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VMAA Update – President 20250210

Hello Fellow Aeromodellers
VMAA Update – 10 February 2025
I hope everyone has had a relaxing and enjoyable summer break with family and friends.  The committee has continued working in the background to a lesser degree but is now back in full swing.  Many club events have been run or scheduled, and I’m pleased to see clubs entering their events on the event page on our website.  Here are a few reminders and updates to kick the year off:

  • The website password to access the members’ area is: (Check your email)
  • Expiring Area Approvals: Clubs – Please ensure you are ready to submit your area approval renewals at least 4 (Four) months before their expiry date. Clubs who do not have area approvals are restricted to flying below 400’ AGL.If clubs want to extend this limit you may consider applying for an area approval with a greater height AGL. Check the current area approvals here: Area Approvals | VMAA
  • The ‘Find a Club’ on the website only has 21 of the possible 70 clubs listed.  Can you please add your club to the website?
  • The events page is growing but I encourage all clubs running events to add them to the website.  This enables other clubs to avoid doubling events on the same days. You can add your events here: Events Menu – Add Event | VMAA
  • To attract junior membership, the VMAA are offering first-time junior members their first year free.  Any first-time junior members who joined up this financial year prior to this promotion will receive a voucher for next year.
    Visit https://www.vmaa.com.au/first-year-juniors-fly-free/ for more information.
  • To promote our sport and attract new members, we encourage all clubs to run a “Come and Try” day in 2025.  The VMAA can help in organising and advertising your event.  Great time to take advantage of the junior membership offer.  Talk to your club committee and start planning a date.  Please reach out to the VMAA for assistance if your club is interested.
  • Andrew Sill from Sill Marketing has kindly offered to host free webinars on how to advertise and promote your club events. We are hoping to run a few of these webinars this year and will have some dates up soon.
    For more information, dates and register your attendance visit https://www.vmaa.com.au/webinar-promoting-events/
  •  A reminder that the MAAA Club Assistance Grants will be opening soon.  It’s time to start getting the quotes and planning for your application. If you need guidance or financial assistance, please contact us early. 
  • This is another reminder for aspiring Heavy Model Inspectors that the application information and process are now online. Visit https://www.vmaa.com.au/hmi-menu/ for more information.

 Note from the VMAA Registrar –
 Hello everyone, as I continue to learn the VMAA Registrar’s role I am finding a few clubs have not been keeping their club data updated in the MAAA database. I am finding clubs with incorrect Secretary, Registrar, President & Treasurer’s details listed in the database.
Can I urge all Registrars or Secretaries to be vigilant in updating their Club’s information on the MAAA database when these positions change at their club?The information is used to contact clubs, and in a recent case, the contact details of both the Secretary and Registrar were out of date.
I have had my attention drawn to members’ wings ratings not being correct for some members’ data on the MAAA database.If any member finds their wings rating has not been updated, they should contact us by completing the contact form on the website here: Contact Us | VMAA
Club Registrars – There is a great help menu on the MAAA database in the links and below the logout button.  This is a good place to start if you need help with any procedure on the database.
               
If any club needs help with updating their information, please contact me. I will be more than happy to help. My contact details are below.
 
Ian Mackay
VMAA Registrar
Email – registrar@vmaa.com.au
Phone – 0407861131
 
Note from the VMAA Treasurer –
 The VMAA Treasurer asks that when clubs are making payments to the VMAA that they please put their club name/initials in the description  as we have had several payments come in with shortened personal names with no reference to where the payment is from.  This makes is difficult to process and cross check quickly especially if it’s to do with membership fees or tracing any issues.
 
Note from the VMAA Sate Flying Instructor –
 Instructors Please note,

  • Members Phone Numbers: When completing the Wings Test Sheet, please include the member’s current mobile number or home phone number in the members details section on the form. This will assist me when I phone the wings recipient to pass on my congratulations. This also allows for a check of the MAAA database records, which I can amend when required.
  • Gold Wings Testing: I am requesting Instructors also endorse the Wings Test Sheet with the Name or description of the model used for the test.  I expect all Gold Wings Tests will be completed with a model weighing over 2 kgs, which will bring it in line with the requirement for testing for Silver Wings.  I will not accept members doing their Gold Wings Test with a small Foamy Profile Model weighing, 800 grams, well under 2 kgs.  This anomaly and policy will be submitted to MAAA to have MOP 027 amended accordingly.  Gold Wings is a level that needs to be held with high regard, and its importance as the Gold Standard should not be diminished  in any way.
  • For some time now, I have been encouraging newly qualified Instructors, to enlist the help of experienced Instructors to be a witness during the testing of members doing the Gold Wings Test. The witness Instructor name can be noted on the test sheet, and I record this information on the MAAA Database in the comments area. 
  • The recommended policy achieves several positives, namely
    • It protects the instructor from any allegations of “Mates Rates“, awarding wings to those members who have not deserved it.
    • It stops members shopping around for Instructors by going club to club, when they have not reached the required high standard.
    • Assists newly appointed Instructors to gauge the acceptable level of skill required before awarding Gold Wings.
    • This policy is not mandatory, and in some country areas it would be difficult to achieve. However, when it can be done, I would ask clubs to adopt this as club policy as I believe it can only enhance the level of flying and testing for Gold Wings.  The feedback that I have received from many skilled and well-respected Instructors has been positive and worth doing at your club

 
Les Marriner Aus.20536
VMAA Vice President
VMAA SFI
0401 622 613
 
There are many events on the calendar for members to attend:
 

More events can be found here: Events from February 16 – June 7 – VMAA

Until next time, Safe flying
Tony Wilson
VMAA President