G'day everyone. Good to see that there is some activity in the northern hemisphere despite the cool weather.

TruBlu - What a wonderful way to go to work. Keep up the fun and keep flying the models. One of our young members has just returned from 18 months pilot training and is now trying to find a job in the world of commercial flying.

gboulton - I think you may have to have that smile surgically removed or his teachers will begin to think he is up to something. I remember my son (who is now 32) and his first flights. We started together and within a couple of months he was taking off and landing. It took me rather longer and my landings are still not as good as his were after two months.

scottm - Sorry to hear about the back. Hope it is not making life too difficult and you are still able to play with your toys. Our long time club president died about 10 months ago leaving a wife, 7 dogs, 2 donkeys, a horse and a huge collection of planes and engines. The club chipped in and sold the collection for his wife. I bought his un-built quarter scale Space Walker and the Laser 150 engine he had bought for it. The hardest things to sell were the tons of small items - props, nuts and bolts etc.

Oberst - my brother-in-law is currently out of a job so he spends most days working on some new models and looking for a job in his field as a programmer. He is currently building a Tony Nijhuis Mosquito and restoring an older and quite large Fiesler Storch. The Mossie will be electric and the Storch is being converted from 46 size glow to electric too. He is currently trying to join a very active club not far from where he lives. The club is so popular they have had to close their books. The local council owns the site and does not want to create a parking and traffic problem for the locals.

To everyone else - thanks for reading and how about telling us of your adventures in balsa, foam and plastic?