Warrington Model Aircraft Club - 1937 www.wcvs.net

[pfishy69]

Brilliant record of Warrington life. Was this Vicky park or Orford park which had the model boat lake? I remember Warrington Model club flying at the Burtonwood airbase site in the mid 1970s and seeing Stan Catchpole with the first RC helcopter a Bell Huey with large trainer floats The regular instructor was Vince Wrigley who could fly anything no matter how badly built. There was still members flying control line and free flight models back then too. I still fly RC bt only on the local field

[duckgeezer]

@pfishy69 I flew on Burtonwood in the 70s too.

Vince was a great flier.

I remember once a beginner turning up with his model's elevator working the wrong way round. Vince checked the controls, saw the fault, but still took it off and test flew it. I knew Stan very well too. This clip was Orford park btw, I don't think the pond is there anymore. I'm still a member of the club to this day.

[saintellins]

@duckgeezer great days in the 1970s. We used to meet up at the marquis of granby on manchester rd. Vince was a legend but could hog a newcomers model under the pretext of teaching them to fly..Ha ha .. I once saw vince land a heavy aerobatic model ( possibly a gangster) in a very heavy headwind just like a jump jet...amazing. another memory was Stan flying a 10 foot thermal soarer from a bungee and at the top of the climbout he switched his tranny off and put it in his flight box!!! rx was off

[duckgeezer]

@saintellins I joined in 1974, we met at the M of G then. There was Mike Jackson, Tom Potter, Ian Walker, Tony Cunliffe, merchant seaman Neville with his delta, Bert Skeles, Chris Barden, Tommy Lamb, Barry Purslow. Of those only Ian is around and still flying. Sadly, attendance is waining these days. It's such a cheap hobby compared to the past. In the 70s most had only one model. Now the average guy brings at least four or five. In the 90s the club had well over a 100 active members.

[saintellins]

@duckgeezer I was a junior in 1972-1975 cycling to burtonwood until i discovered girls and motorbikes. So sad to hear all those good guys have gone, I think the last event I went to was Sywell in 1975. I flew a cox powered glider as a boy enthusiast ( single channel due to the expense) Today i fly chinese artf from the local football field for pocket money.sadly people like Vince have been replaced by a usb lead and a cd rom, I must come along to penketh and sankey one meeting . take care

[leccyflyervids]

@duckgeezer

The club is still going strong - Ian W, Chris B and Barry P are all still active flyers too.

Brilliant video from 1937 - there are a few more recent ones on my You Tube page if you click on te name.

cheers

[spitfireJEJ]

We have gained a lot since then ....and lost a lot too.  What a wonderful record.

[fsj450]

If you're of younger years you're to be excused.

Failing that try reading up on WW II

[drjazzisme]

@Vrael1022 THE WAR DID START IN SEPT1939.JUST AFTER I WAS BORN,MY MUM ALWAYS JOKED IT WAS MY FAULT.NEVER SAW MY DAD UNTIL 1945 AS HE WAS CALLED UP STRAIGHT AWAY AND WAS CAPTURED SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE,SPENT 4 YEARS FORCED LABOUR IN A POLISH SALT MINE UNDER THE NAZIS,HE SAW MANY OF HIS MATES DIE OF BRUTAL TREATMENT,ILLNESSES DUE TO MALNUTRITION,AND TERRIBLE CONDITIONS.YES..HE CAME HOME ALIVE,,,JUST!,,,,BUT WHAT ILL HEALTH HE SUFFERED FOR THE REST OF HIS DAYS,,

& SPENT 2 YEARS IN KOREAN WAR..RIP DAD

[Tvpresenter4history]

Yes an emotional film in many ways ...... the music is especialy written for the film work that i do... this track is entitled ' local history'

[1944GPW]

Fantastic snapshot of model aviation history.. To think that these happy and enthusiastic people, kids included, would be plunged into dark and desperate times only two years on.

What is the music? It fits this perfectly.