MAAA Wingspan

20 21 SWARMS Model Aero Club committee and members have continued to manage and maintain the MAAA/AWA state field over the last 12 months, carrying out significant improvements and upgrades to the facilities. North/south and east/west runways had been scheduled for an upgrade for some time. However, due to budget constraints and the urgency of work needed, we decided to focus on one runway immediately, which was the resurfacing of the east/west runway from existing matting to concrete. A lot of planning was required to design and negotiate with contractors to ensure we could achieve what we had planned and there was a real need to look at avenues to raise the necessary funds to complete the project. This planning work commenced in January 2021 and is due for completion on 11 December 2021. The size of the completed runway is 82 metres by 8.4 metres, and the total cost of the finished project was $29,122.64. The Club contributed $13,000 towards the project and the remaining amount was raised via grants from AWA and the Capel Shire, including donations from Club members. Planned projects • The next major project the Club is focused on is the replacement of the pit pavilion roof (pictured). The planning for this is well advanced, and it is hoped this project has been completed before winter. • The start-up area has been identified as a potential safety issue, with existing matting causing a slip hazard from fuel deposits when wet, so planning for upgrading to a concrete surface has commenced. • Further concrete work is required to complete the north/south taxiway abutment onto the new runway, and this is well underway. It is also planned to complete both concrete projects over the next two months. The completion of these projects will be subject to the availability of adequate funding, which the committee is endeavouring to source via several avenues. The annual hay cutting and bailing has been completed and hay bales transported from the field. The installation of the fire breaks around the field has been completed to ensure compliance with the Shire requirements. The flying field has continued to be utilised over the past 12 months, however, due to COVID restrictions, the two main events - the annual IMAC competition and SWARMS Fun Fly-In over the long weekend in September - had to be cancelled. This decision generated a lot of comments of disappointment from pilots around the state who normally attend the event over the two-day holiday weekend. Several visiting pilots enjoyed the facilities at the field over the past 12 months and the upgrade work has contributed immensely to an improvement of the field’s facilities and maintaining a high degree of safety. This has been achieved to ensure members and visitors can enjoy their chosen sport with minimal risk. The Club membership numbers current year 2020/21 = 33 2018/19 = 32 2017/18 = 28 Planned Maintenance The field perimeter fence along the access road, which was previously planned for renewal, has been replaced. It consists of 350 metres of five strand wire fence line and was completed at a cost of $1,650.00 funding contributed by the SWARMS Club. There will always be ongoing expenditure for the Club to ensure the facilities are maintained to a high standard, however, ongoing budgeting for these expenses will be required to enable the Club to achieve its goals. The Club does not perceive any pending problems with either membership numbers or finance over the next 12 months, and we look forward to another successful year in the air. Bill Darnell President SWARMS Club report: South West Associated Radio Modellers Society (SWARMS) Field Update “The annual hay cutting and bailing has been completed and hay bales transported from the field”