Background
During the last couple of years many Councils across the UK have reviewed the arrangements they had for model aircraft enthusiasts to fly planes on their land. Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (E&EBC) was amongst those who undertook such a review and they called on the BMFA for advice as to how model aircraft flying could be better regulated rather than banning the activity completely.
The BMFA undertook a Risk Assessment evaluation and made a number of recommendations, the main one being that the Bylaws be changed to allow the formation of a Club, which would ensure that all flyers of whatever discipline fly according to a set of common sense rules and that all are insured.
Contrary to some opinion the land on which the modellers fly, which is inside the racecourse, is private, it being owned by United Racecourses but administered by the Epsom and Walton Downs Conservators. We fly on the Downs with their permission, there being no such thing as grandfather rights for the flying of model aircraft, and this permission can be withdrawn at any time without recourse to any changes to the Bylaws.
Byelaw Changes
After many months of negotiation with the E&EBC and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) the formation of a Club was ratified with the appropriate amendments to the Bylaws accepted. With effect from January 1st 2006 the Epsom Downs Model Aircraft Club (EDMAC) became active and all model aircraft flyers that wish to fly from the Downs are required by the Conservators to join the Club. This requirement embraces all disciplines of radio control and free flight. For safety reasons the Bylaws exclude rocket and turbine powered aircraft, control line and bungee launches.
How these changes affect you
The Club (EDMAC) is now affiliated to the BMFA, has a Committee, a Constitution, and Club Rules. There is a small annual membership fee of £5 to cover administration costs of running the Club and the machinery to maintain the flying strip. E&EBC require all EDMAC members to have BMFA insurance which indemnifies the Club Committee, the Land Owners and the Administrators against third party insurance claims. Club members are issued a membership card, which shows that they are insured and which must be shown to the Conservators when requested to verify that they are members of EDMAC, and therefore entitled to fly on the Downs.
The Downs is an excellent site, and the Committee are very pleased that the negotiations that have been undertaken have secured this valuable flying site for the foreseeable future for all model aircraft enthusiasts.