Simon Hinchcliffe TEMAC #124

[sihinch]

My interest in aircraft started at an early age and I began modelling with Airfix kits in the early 1980s.  I have always had a bias towards military aircraft because for me they demonstrate the pinnacle of technology and development.  My Dad used to take me to the UK's 2nd biggest airshow every year, and I grew-up with the ambition to fly the F-4 Phantom in the RAF.

As I got older, I became more competent at plastic modelling, and for me the thrill was having my very own fighter (1938-present) to look at, from every different angle.  I used to hang them from my bedroom ceiling with fishing wire, and I think mentally I was creating a vision of the aircraft doing a show just for me!

Eventually my passion for aircraft lead me to RC models.  I saved my money from a paper round to buy a Futaba radio system, Super Tigre 0.25 and a Yamamoto (ARF kit in the 1980s, uncovered) in about 1986. I joined a club in Sheffield, UK and after trimming the model the instructor let me fly a few circuits. It was faster than today's foamies, but a nice stable flier.

But because I was reliant on the UK weather, and my Dad taking me to the field, I never learnt to fly it. I did used to drive it around our back garden, with the wings off, using the steerable nose gear, though! 

In 1988 I joined a slope soaring club and learnt to fly a non-scale glider off the edge of a hill in the Peak District, at a place called Stannage Edge. Very beautiful and the weather (or wind) actually helped! So (with ski goggles on!) I learnt to control a model, but I got a bit bored just flying in to wind with the odd loop.  I went off to University in 1990 and then never flew a model until.....

In 2005, Lesley bought me a Multiplex Pico Cub, with a 400 brushed motor. I never managed to fly that (I had only ever once flown a powered model once it was already in the air, or hand-launched off a cliff!) before coming to Canada in 2006. I actually rescued it from my loft last Christmas.

And then in 2010 I bought a flight sim, and after reading the forums and magazines, I tried an EasyStar, since everyone was saying it was the perfect beginners aircraft. I first tried to fly it without the wing spar – that didn't work!     And then I got it stuck 30ft up a tree in the local park however with true modellers ingenuity I managed to get it down with a part-filled coke bottle and a piece of string, albeit after a week of it being stuck!    In the mean time I'd bought a Hobbyzone Champ, which I finally learnt to fly, that was really the first powered model that I learnt to fly!  On my own I then progressed to the EasyStar (and managed to fly it) and then the ParkZone Micro Trojan, before joining TEMAC in May 2011.

As I mentioned above, my passion is for military fighter aircraft, and I love improving the performance of models or customising the appearance.  So up until now I have mostly taken ARFs or kits and upgraded the motors, ESCs and fans etc or got new graphics from Callie Graphics to make my aircraft different from everyone else's. 

In 2012 I became an instructor at TEMAC, and really enjoyed helping others to realise their RC dreams and also getting the chance to fly lots of different models (that weren't mine!)  But last year I realised that the visual appeal of nice looking scale models was not enough for me.......I wanted to push my flying skills.  So for 2013 I'd like to become a more proficient aerobatic pilot, and also the winning racer of the TEMAC Nooner race series!   

I'm very proud to be the current president of TEMAC, and feel honoured to be part of the team who look after the club (a.k.a "The Board")  TEMAC is a great group of people, friends and enthusiasts and I'm delighted that we have such an active membership with a hunger for fun flies, pilots meetings, build classes, racing and hot dogs!  TEMAC is a very important part of my life, and I am dedicated to ensuring the club is safe, inclusive and most importantly fun! 

Cheers,
S

[sihinch]

Just over in the UK visiting family and had the chance to go for a walk on the moors, at the place I learnt to fly slope soarers.  Thought I'd post some pictures, because if nothing else the heather looks amazing!  Oh, and we got a fly past by a Tiger Moth.....

If you look very closely in one of the photos, you can see the pilots by the edge and a model glider in the air......

[piker]

Wow!  That's some beautiful slope soaring country!

I did a fair amount of slope soaring back in the early '80's but I didn't have slopes like that.  My best place was the old garbage dump in Kingston.  Still, had a lot of fun.

Robert

[imran13]

That looks really cool!

Where exactly in the UK are you?

[sihinch]

Sheffield, on the edge of the Peak District (which is where the photos are taken.)

[thehaze]

Nice pics. Where's your model?

[Wingnutz]

Very cool scenery! Think I saw the Tiger in the first photo and one of the slope soarers in the second. All the vehicles lined up in the first photo...slope soaring community? Traffic jam? Have a great time!