MAAA Wingspan

36 WING SPAN NOVEMBER From 26 October – 2 November 2019, the skies above peaceful Norfolk Island will buzz with the sights and sounds of model aeroplanes, as the Tingalpa Model Aero Club joins the local Norfolk Island Club to present the Norfolk Island Fly-In, Allen Danvers Challenge. The event will be dedicated to Allen Danvers, the Tingalpa Club’s key organiser who passed away in 2014. Allen enthusiastically attended and led the group to Norfolk each year. The Challenge is one way the flyers can honour and remember all that he achieved for model aero flying on Norfolk Island. Both Clubs’ now extend a very warm invitation to all model aeroplane flyers across Australia and New Zealand to join them once again on Norfolk Island for this year’s Fly-In. Over the past six years, the success of this event has become both clubs’ annual highlight. One of the reasons it works so well is that Norfolk Island is a pretty unique model aero flying destination. The island is small yet has a huge variety of places to fly depending on conditions on the day, simply hopping in a car brings you five to ten minutes away from a suitable location. From one side of the island to the other, Norfolk’s microclimates ensure there is nearly always a suitable place to launch. Added to this is the sheer beauty of Norfolk Island, which provides one spectacular backdrop after another with planes darting majestically across the sky. Participating flyers in previous years have brought over a range of planes and gliders for indoor, outdoor and night flying, all of which occur during the week. While some choose to bring a variety of planes both big and small, others will put together kit planes once on the island. There’s also no problem for appropriately licensed flyers to bring planes with jet turbines using A1 aviation gas - this can be organised to be available for visiting flyers. In addition, travelling for the Fly-In also offers a South Pacific Holiday as well as flying. Not only is this event appealing to flyers, but also to non-flying family and friends. There is so much to do on this little island, including historic and cultural tours and activities, swimming, shopping, reef snorkelling and exploring various National Parks. The golf course is within spectacular World Heritage listed Kingston, and the fishing is locally called ‘catching’! “ALLEN DANVERS CHALLENGE” 2019 fly on into THE NORFOLK ISLAND FLY-IN