Title:

The title of the Club shall be “The Amman Valley Radio Control Club” (therein after referred to as “The Club”)

Objectives:

To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of “The Amman Valley Area” and the neighbourhood (hereinafter called “the neighbourhood”, without distinction of sex, race, language, disability or of political, religious or other opinions, by associating together the said inhabitants and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education, to improve the physical and economic conditions of life in the area of benefit and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time activities.
The Club shall be non-party in politics and non-sectarian in religion.
The Club shall have a bilingual policy.

Officers:

Management shall be by a committee with the consent of the membership.
The Officers shall be elected in the Annual General Meeting and shall hold Office for one year: - they will then be eligible for re-election.
Voting shall be by a show of hands of those present. Absent members may have their vote registered by email or post delivered to the Secretary.
In order to facilitate email and postal voting, members wishing to put their name forward for election should make it known to the committee at the October meeting. i.e. 1 month before the A.G.M.

The Club shall elect the following officers:-

• Chairman,
• Secretary,
• Treasurer

The Club shall have the right to elect the following officers (with the approval of the members): -

• Vice-chairman,
• A minimum of two Safety Officers,
• Competition Secretary

Membership:

The Club shall consist of three classes of members, viz; Full Members, Junior Members and Honorary Members.

Full Members

1. A full member shall be a person whose application for membership has been approved by the committee and whose membership is not in arrears.
2. A full member shall be entitled to use all facilities provided by the Club subject to such rules and regulations as the committee may make.
3. A full member shall be entitled to one vote at any Annual, Ordinary or Extraordinary meeting of the Club.
4. Application for full membership shall be made by completing an Application/Renewal form and submitting it to the committee. The committee shall not be required to give any reason for the non-selection of an applicant.
5. The committee may, by resolution communicated to the member in writing and stating the grounds on which it proposes to act, call upon any individual to resign from the Club and if a member does not resign within thirty days after being called to do so, the committee may terminate his/her membership. Before coming to any decision the committee shall give the member affected proper facilities for stating his/her case to them, either orally or in writing as the committee may determine.
6. The committee may at any time refuse to accept a renewal of the subscription of any member.
7. No individual member shall take any action or make any public announcement in the name of the Club or otherwise do anything directly or indirectly to represent that any proposal, action or statement of facts has the approval of the Club. The committee alone may make announcements and publications in the name of the Club.
8. A full member shall pay an annual subscription of such sum as an Annual General Meeting may determine.
9. A full member shall be provided with a copy of the constitution and current rules on election to the club.
10. A full member of the Club (as defined by the BMFA rules) must be a member of the BMFA (proof of BMFA membership, obtained via another club, is acceptable), and flying membership of the club shall lapse if BMFA membership is not maintained. Members are warned that lapsed BMFA membership cancels their insurance.
11. A full member will be given a gate key as soon as possible after being accepted as a member of the Club. The member is responsible for the safe keeping of the key and the member shall be liable for any costs incurred for a replacement key due to loss or damage.

Full Junior Members

A full Junior member shall be as a full member save that;

1. At the date of application for membership, the applicant shall not have attained the age of eighteen (18) years.
2. The annual subscription shall be such as an Annual General Meeting shall determine.

Honorary Members

An Honorary Member shall be as a full member save that;

1. An Honorary Member shall not be required to pay an annual subscription.
2. Election to Honorary Membership shall be made at any meeting of the Club

Number of Members

The number of Full, Full Junior and Honorary Members shall not exceed 50 in any one financial year.

Disabled members

The Club acknowledges the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and subsequent related legislation and will make the following provisions to accommodate any disabled member.

1. It is the disabled member’s responsibility to inform the club of any assistance or support that may be required. In cooperation with the disabled member and his/her advisers the committee will make an assessment of his/her needs and accordingly make whatever arrangements are practical for him/her to enjoy the benefits of membership. In doing so the club will not make any exception to its normal standards of safety, and it will continue to comply with the Air Navigation Order articles 73, 74 & 98.
2. The above arrangements will include provision where practical for access to the flying site. The club accepts the responsibility for seeking approval for whatever changes are necessary to provide access.
3. The club will provide any funding that is necessary to implement the above arrangements. The disabled member will not be liable for any costs incurred by the club that result from his/her disability. The club may appeal for financial help for these purposes from the Millennium Awards Scheme, Council grants, or Local Government community development schemes via the local authority sports development officer.
4. The club has no obligation to provide any specialist equipment (eg modified Transmitter) for use by the disabled member.
5. The club holds a copy of the BMFA publication “Guide Lines for BMFA Affiliated Model Clubs with Disabled or Special Needs Members” from which the above provisions have been extracted, and which gives further information and useful contact details.

visitors to the club

Visitor/Guest:

1. A visitor/guest is an individual who is not a full member of the Club, but who wishes to use the Club facilities for the purpose of flying model aircraft.
2. A visitor/guest will be permitted up to four visits in any twelve month period and may be offered (at the discretion of the committee) full use of the Club facilities.
3. After their fourth visit, the visitor/guest shall cease to use the Club facilities until such time as a formal application has been received to become a full member of the Club.
4. A visitor/guest will be required to produce proof of a valid BMFA membership before using the Club facilities.
5. A visitor/guest who does not hold a BMFA ‘A’ certificate or above, will be required to undertake a supervised check flight prior to flying ‘solo’ at the Club.
6. Club examiners invited to attend the Club by the committee shall be granted Full Member status for the duration of their visit.

First Time Inexperienced Flyer:

1. A first time inexperienced flyer with no prior experience of model flying may use the Club facilities for a period of no more than three days.
2. During this period, all flights performed by the first time inexperienced flyer will be supervised by a designated Club instructor.
3. After the third day, the first time inexperienced flyer shall cease to use the Club facilities until such time as a formal application has been received to become a full member of the Club.
4. A first time inexperienced flyer may be requested by the committee to pay a deposit to cover fuel costs for the use of the training facilities. The deposit shall be such as an Annual General Meeting shall determine.

Spectator:

1. A spectator is defined as a member of the public whose sole purpose is to watch model aircraft in flight. They will have no right to use the club facilities, but will be expected to observe the normal safety precautions.

Annual Subscriptions

1. The second annual subscription after election as a member and thereafter a renewed subscription shall become due on 1st January in each year. A new member’s subscription paid after 1st January in any year shall entitle him/her to all privileges of membership until 31st December of that year. The committee may for any reason wholly or partly waive the payment of any subscription in any case and subject to any conditions they may think fit.
2. A member whose subscription is in arrears on 31st January next after it has become due shall cease to be a member of the Club.

Club Finances:

The Club is a non-profit making organization. No profit or surplus will be distributed.

BANKING.

1. The funds of the Club shall be lodged in a bank account(s) approved by the Committee. All Club receipts will be paid into the appropriate Club account(s) Cheques or other withdrawals must be authorized by the Treasurer and the Chairman. Normal expenses of the Club must be authorized by at least two members of the Committee.
2. Capital expenditure must be authorized in advance by the General Committee.
3. Satisfactory documentary evidence will be obtained to substantiate all expenditure.

Meetings:

1. All meetings will be agendered and minuted.
2. Voting will normally be by show of hands, proxy or postal votes will not be allowed, (other than in the election of the committee) in the event of a tie the Chairman will have the casting vote.
3. All proposals must be proposed and seconded and voted upon. A majority is required to carry a proposal.

annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of members of the Club shall be held once in every calendar year on the second Wednesday of November to transact the following business;

1. To receive and approve the annual reports from the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer and the audited statement of accounts to the end of the financial year.
2. To elect the Officers for the forthcoming year.
3. To review proposed changes to the constitution, Club rules and financial arrangements (including levels of membership subscription).
4. Alterations or additions to the Constitution are approved if 75% of the members present are in favour, either by a show of hands, or if demanded, by a ballot.
5. The outgoing officers of the club shall retain control of the AGM and hand over will take place as of the 1st January of the forthcoming year.

Extra-ordinary General meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called:

1. By the committee.
2. At the written request of two thirds of the membership.

Members must be informed of an EGM at least 14 days before the date of the meeting. Full details of the matters to be raised shall accompany the notice.

Ordinary Meeting

An ordinary meeting will be held on the second Wednesday of every month. The Committee may for circumstances outside of the Clubs control, change the date, time or venue of the ordinary meeting. Members will be informed at least 48 hours in advance of any changes made.

Dissolution:

Dissolution of the club may take place following a three quarters majority decision of the members present at an AGM or EGM. The committee shall then liquidate the assets of the club and pay outstanding debts. Any surplus assets shall be donated to the Air Ambulance or other appropriate charity.

The aim of the following rules is to provide a safe, enjoyable environment for the members and visitors to the Club. Members found to be repeatedly disobeying these rules will have their membership terminated.

1. The Committee, Safety Officers and Instructors, will be responsible for the running of the flying field at all times. Appointment to the position of Instructor or Examiner can only be made by a Committee decision.
2. No model may be operated which gives a noise measurement above 82dB (A) @ 7 mtrs or as per any subsequent rule laid down in the BMFA Handbook.
3. Members are expected to read and observe the BMFA Handbook and any subsequent amendments.
4. All new trainee pilots will be expected to take and pass the AVRCC Solo Test before being allowed to fly solo. Further to this, any pilot whose flying gives cause for concern, could be grounded and required to take the solo test.
5. All radio equipment must be Type Approved, well maintained and operate on the 35MHz band between 34.950MHz (channel 55) and 35.300MHz (channel 90), the 2.4 GHz band or the allocated UHF band.
6. When 4 or more pilots are present, the pilot box must be erected.
7. Except in an emergency, flying behind the flight line, or the extended flight line, is forbidden. Also, flying outside our designated airspace is forbidden.
8. All turns immediately after take-off must be made away from the pit area.
9. Low flying in the vicinity of people, animals or property is expressly forbidden.
10. Pilots must not taxi directly towards any person or animal, and must ensure that the engine or motor can be cut from the transmitter.
11. When in the pits, aircraft must be restrained while their engines are running.
12. Taxiing from the pits to the take off area will be permitted along with the return from landing to the edge of the pilot’s box. However under no circumstances will taxiing from the pilot’s box towards the pits be allowed.
13. Pilots should stand together on the flight line, with the exception of helicopter pilots using the hovering area. Take offs and landings should be on the centreline and transmitters should not be taken on to the strip.
14. A maximum of four aircraft may be airborne at any one time.
15. Only one helicopter to operate on the hovering area at any one time.
16. Models over 7kg and all turbine powered models must be fitted with a failsafe.
17. All maiden flights with a new (or substantially repaired) model will need to be announced. The pilot should be given clear air space with an instructor on standby in case of difficulty.
18. Where any failsafe systems are installed, they must, at a minimum, pull the throttle to idle.
19. No other transmitting device (Including mobile phones) may be operated in the pits without consent.
20. Any airframe or equipment may be subject to a safety check. Any aircraft that is suspect may be grounded until the problem has been rectified.
21. Frequency control is by the “peg on” system.
    No 35 MHz transmitter may be switched on unless the pilots peg displaying their name has been placed on the pegboard.
    2.4 GHz radio sets do not require pegs to be used.

Supplementary Rules

The following rules can be added to or amended by the Committee at any time under application to the members at an Ordinary Meeting.

1. The Committee may request that any member who loses or damages Club property (including gate keys) pay for the repair and/or replacement of the damaged items.
2. The Committee may remove a members access privileges if the member repeatedly fails to secure the gate/padlocks correctly.
3. Club Members may only operate radio control models in accordance with the license as granted by the land owner.