Model
Aviators Association Holiday week April 24th to May 1st
Primrose Valley. I could not
believe the weather when I arrived at the camp.
The sun was shining and where was very little wind.
I hoped this was the start of things to come!
The customary informal get together on the Saturday night started the
week off. As with last year we were
given the use of the 365 bar. There was a number of old faces missing this year and only
one or two new faces that had become friends by the end of the week.
The diminishing number of members attending these holidays is beginning
to trouble even me now. Why are people not coming back or not attending in the first
place? If the numbers are not kept
at an acceptable level the holidays will stop.
Well
unlike the past couple of years, Sunday dawned and Mother Nature had been very
kind to us it was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, it was warm enough for
the glider CFI to have his shorts on! The
attendance of the pilots’ morning briefing was good.
MAA Chairman, Max Bradley, welcomed everybody, PRO, Caroline Scoles,
explained what was in store for the week's events and each CFI gave a briefing
on their discipline. A Twenty
pounds model voucher was raffled, for when Members paid for there power flying
passes, they where given a free raffle ticket.
The
weather remained good until Tuesday when it turn unsettled, but every day most
of the people were able to fly at some point.
The glider flyers were out from virtually dawn to dusk every day.
There was even a brief appearance on the slopes by some of the power
flyers! By the end of the week,
everyone had been lucky enough to get some great flying in.
Once again, this year we were privileged to have Alan Head from SAS
models spending all week with us. The
evening’s entertainment, laid out in the programme was as follows, Sunday
Aeroplane Darts, unfortunately this did not take place due a lack of a
dartboard. Monday Spot the
Aeroplane, Tuesday Informal get together, Wednesday the infamous one and only
Alan Head, Thursday was down as a Fun Auction and bring and buy and Friday we
had the traditional raffle draw and prize giving ceremony.
Again, in a break from the norm, instead of the buffet supper, the
Chinese restaurant next door to the 365 bar was tried for supper.
There was live music from Max and his band, “The Little Band” and
complimented by Elizabeth, John and Derek on guitars. Max
kindly presented the Trophies, and the John Rudd Memorial Trophy was awarded to
Liam Beard.
Max
also made announcement about next years Primrose Valley Holiday, we were
informed that due to the dropping in numbers The Committee have decided to merge
the MAA holiday week with the modellers holiday week that normally follows the
MAA week. So next year there will
only be one week, it will be the week before the May bank holiday and it will be
known as the Modellers Holiday week.
If
you have just enjoyed a weeks flying with the MAA or have missed it, there is
always Devon in September this year. We
must make a go of Devon this year, with our new camp and much lower prices than
Haven Holidays, so if you have been thinking about going to Devon please support
us and give it a try this year.
Well
this brought another weeks flying holiday to an end. Everyone said their goodbyes with promises to see them ever
at Devon or here next year.
Holiday
report Primrose Valley April 24th to May 1st 2004.
Michael
Terry.