Basingstoke Model Aero Club

Mike Hutchins Memorial Event 23rd August 2026

After several attempts, the memorial event for our old friend and club stalwart Mike Hutchins finally took place last Sunday. This time the weather gods were kind, with a gentle breeze, sunshine and a chocolate box sky. It was good to see so many members and their wife’s turn out to mark the day.

Mike was a member of the club for a very long time and he also served on the committee for many years. A regular at the field with his wife Debbie by his side, he was always happy to have a chat and help out in any way he could, even when his health was not the best.

Mike was known for his extensive practice of Dead-Stick landings, somewhere in the locale of the field, usually with IC-powered Models. Debbie would help collect the parts before heading home, but Mike would be back next time either with the model fully repaired or something new.

This event was intended as a light-hearted re-creation of this manoeuvre with the added challenge of a spot-landing. Each pilot after taking off would, at the given signal cut the power to their model and attempt a dead stick landing. The pilot who succeeded in getting closest to the spot was the winner.

12 Pilots took part and after 2 rounds the clear winner was Ryan Stoate. A second prize went to Brian Davies for the most entertaining attempt.

Thanks goes to Debbie Hutchins for helping hand out the prizes and for bringing along cake’s. Also thanks to Bob & Rachel for looking after the catering, and to everyone who came along and took part. See less

21st BMAC Electric Fly-In September 6th 2026

I would like to say a VERY! Big Thank You to Essential RC and HobbyKing for donating over £400 worth of raffle prizes, to this year's Electric Fly-In raffle.

So please bring lots of change to be in with a chance of winning one of these prizes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6yvrcF5KjI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OehWAEL0eg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5IwNTcza-8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDTatFFI0_U

Club Fun Challenge Day - Sunday 21st June

This saw the return of the Club Spitty and Glider Competitions. The Challenge like before had a mix of Spitty combat and Glider tasks, for those that have the Spittys, 1.6m Easy Glider or similar.

The weather was perfect and we started with a Spitty Combat, followed by 3 rounds of “All Up Last Down” with the Gliders, and closed the day with a second Combat.

Excellent BBQ faire was once more provided courtesy of ‘Bob’s Burgers & Bratties’.

Last year we held our 20th Electric Flight Fly-In, there have been a lot of changes in our hobby sport in that time, but some things have never changed, the enjoyment, the enthusiasm and the innovation.

Read about our event in the RCM&E.

This is there best ever picture BTW.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1582345357232157&id=100063701225642

Mike Freeman celebrates two decades of the All Electric Fly-In at Basingstoke Model Aero Club! Read the article in our January 2026 issue, on sale now

Want the mag delivered straight to your door each month? Subscribe here with our great New Year offer - https://classicmagazines.co.uk/radio-control-models-electronics?offer=ny26ad

Many, many years ago when I first joined this club one of the tag lines that appeared in club pamphlets was Twined with Barbados Scale Modelers, as we at the time had a Bajan contingent of members.

Over the decades that link has long since faded away. Recently by chance I came across this webpage (https://barbadosrc.org/) which makes me wonder, does this club still exist?

I've been looking back at the history of the last 20 years of our Electric Fly-In, and going through some of the names of the past who attended over the years. Chris Glods, John Stennard, Cyril Carr, John Ranson and David Chinery who was with us this last weekend.

I've also been looking at Dominic Mitchell
Essential RC archive of videos from some of our past events. Here are a few you may enjoy.

Cyril Carr Space Shuttle 2008
[https://youtu.be/YfQU4OyZb_k?si=bzm0FuzfkNe4e3LB](https://youtu.be/YfQU4OyZb_k?si=bzm0FuzfkNe4e3LB)

PARACHUTE CARGO DROP ! RC ELECTRIC 1950s Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy Cargo Transport 2019
[https://youtu.be/F_WXxm6fHcs?si=GApMcKCu3_qao7Xp](https://youtu.be/F_WXxm6fHcs?si=GApMcKCu3_qao7Xp)

Chris Bradbury, flying his Wasp Heli
[https://youtu.be/0HbYU2SAKJM?si=M_kfHyxDio34B8Up](https://youtu.be/0HbYU2SAKJM?si=M_kfHyxDio34B8Up)

14 Sept 2016 SCALE RC Bell AH-1 Cobra ATTACK Helicopter
[https://youtu.be/nU-mpP0zA5s?si=e3SKOwcX7_dTGvqR](https://youtu.be/nU-mpP0zA5s?si=e3SKOwcX7_dTGvqR)

2014 BMAC Electric Fly-In
[https://youtube.com/playlist...](https://youtube.com/playlist...)

2019 BMAC Electric Fly-In
[https://youtube.com/playlist...](https://youtube.com/playlist...)

Just a few of my pictures from the BMAC 20th Electric Fly-IN on Sunday.

With Essential RC – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉