Rules and Policies

Ely Model Aircraft Club

BMFA Affiliation no 0299

Rules and Policies

Amended July 2025

Witcham flying field. Located between Witcham and Wardy Hill.
Entrance from road is at OS map ref TL461810,
or about 300m N of postcode CB6 2LE

APPLICATION

These rules aim to ensure safe and enjoyable flying and to protect the continued use of the site.
The rules apply to all Club members at the Witcham flying site and, with appropriate changes, to any other ElyMAC flying site. They are subject to annual review and ratification by the Annual General Meeting, but the Committee may make changes mid-year if they believe it necessary.

MEMBERSHIP

Junior up to 18 years of age.
Senior 18 years and over.
Student/Apprentice Concession 18 to 22 years of age.

Membership fees will be advised at time of joining.

FLYING TIMES

Our planning permission requires the following:

A) Quiet electric models:

10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday
10am to 6pm Sunday and Bank Holidays

I/C and noisy electric models (e.g. some pushers, electric ducted fans):
10am to 7pm Wednesday
10am to 7pm Thursday (ONLY IF NO I/C HAS FLOWN ON WEDNESDAY)
10am to 2pm Saturday

B) No more than 5 models, of which 3 can be i/c engined, may fly at the same time.
C) You must record your activity in the log book provided on site.

SAFETY
You are responsible for the safe operation of your model. You have a duty of care to your fellow club members and to the public as well as to yourself.
All members must comply with “BMFA Guides to The Safe Operation of Model Aircraft” (in the BMFA Handbook) unless justifiable local exceptions apply.
You should draw attention to anything that appears unsafe. The Committee may adjudicate in disputes and their decision is final.
INSURANCE
You must have current BMFA insurance. Any flying guest or visitor must also be adequately insured. In certain circumstances novices may be covered under the Club's BMFA insurance (see below).
BMFA insurance aims to protect members and the club against 3rd-party claims for negligence. It does not cover damage to models and associated equipment, and club members and visitors must accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by them to models or equipment belonging to other persons.
RADIO REGULATIONS
You must meet legal requirements and observe BMFA guidelines regarding the use of radio in models. CAP 658 now requires that where a failsafe is available (as in most 2.4GHz receivers) it must be used, at least to reduce engine/motor to idle or cut, not “hold”. Models over 7kg must have such a working failsafe anyway.
If you are using a 35MHz system you must, before switching on your transmitter, ensure that your channel is free and place a peg bearing your name and channel number on the peg board. Where up to 3 fliers are present the pegboard may be dispensed with, but fliers must check each other’s channel number before switching on.
TYPES OF MODELS

Model types are restricted mainly to avoid complaints that might jeopardise the site’s continued use.

Noise must be kept down and all models should comply with the BMFA guidelines on noise. Petrol engines and old glow engines can be too noisy. Random checks may be made.
Turbines and pulse jets are not allowed on the site.
The committee may change these restrictions from time to time.
PITS AND PARKING
The parking and pits areas shall be as shown on the site plan. Taking-off, landing and taxying is not permitted in this area.
No model shall be left unattended with the engine running.
Engines must not be run in the car parking area.
FLYING POINT AND FLYING AREA
You must watch for horse-riders and walkers on the track just beyond the North end of the field. Take-off or landing must be delayed, as appropriate, and models already in flight must be kept well clear. This is important for safety and the continued use of our flying site.
Once airborne stand with other pilots so that you can hear each other’s warning calls and avoid being hit by other models.
You must not fly over or behind the pits or cars, unless the model is a glider at height.
Avoid manoeuvres which give other members concern for their safety.
Fixed-wing models and helicopters should normally fly separately, either in separate areas of the field or at different times, by mutual arrangement.
Avoid the no-fly areas marked on the site plan.

WARNING CALLS

Calls are made for safety and courtesy, and should be made loudly and clearly so that other fliers understand the intention and have the opportunity to respond.

Before taking-off call "TAKlNG OFF" (other fliers may ask you to wait for some reason).
Before a landing approach call "LANDING" or “TOUCH AND GO” as appropriate. Pilots should give a landing model priority. In the event of an engine cut you should immediately call "DEAD STICK" and will be given priority for landing.
When intending to fly low and fast over the patch you must make sure the patch and the North track is clear, and call “LOW PASS” to warn other pilots. Do not fly towards or over any person.
When you need to enter the flying area to recover a model you should ensure your own safety by first calling “RETRIEVING” and pause for any response. After recovery clear the flying area without delay, letting other pilots know that the area is once more clear.
VISITORS
Club members may bring guests who may fly on no more than 2 occasions in 12 months unless otherwise agreed with the Committee. The host member must ensure that the visitor wishing to fly has BMFA insurance or its equivalent. Proof must be shown to a Club office-bearer on demand.
Novice guests may fly twice under the Club's own insurance provided they are flying under the supervision of a registered Club instructor.
SITE CARE
Leave no litter whatsoever at the flying site or on surrounding land.
When retrieving errant models from fields take care to avoid crop damage.
Leave the gate open on arrival. If you are the last to leave, close it.
BEHAVIOUR

Behaviour by a Club member which is deemed to be prejudicial to the continued use of the Club's facilities or offensive to the public or other club members may result in the expulsion of the offender from the Club.

Ely Model Aircraft Club

BMFA Affiliation no 0299

Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection

Jan 2008 rev Feb 2016

A “child” or “U18” is defined as a person under 18 years of age.

A “Vulnerable Adult” or “VA” is defined as a person of 18 years or over who requires a higher level of supervision than normal.

POLICY

The Ely Model Aircraft Club aims to ensure that children and vulnerable adults during their contact with the Club are treated correctly and that club members are protected from misunderstandings and inappropriate accusations. The child's or vulnerable adult’s welfare is the prime consideration - he/she must be protected from harm and be treated with respect.

RULES

Before a U-18 or VA is accepted for membership their parent, guardian or person normally responsible for their care must have agreed in writing to these club rules.
A U-18 or VA must always be accompanied on site by a parent or guardian or by a responsible adult nominated in writing by the parent or guardian.
This parent or guardian or other responsible person is responsible for the general welfare and behaviour of the child or VA while on site. Club members should not accept such responsibility and should not provide unaccompanied
Club instructors are encouraged to have CRB Except in emergency, training should be non-contact.
No member shall publish photographs of junior members together with their names in the club media (e.g. newsletter or web site) without their parent’s permission. Contact details must not be disclosed.
Where a U-18 or VA who is not a club member is on site (e.g. dog walker, member of flier’s family) these rules must be followed as far as is practicable.
If any club member or the parent/guardian or responsible person has concerns about possible abuse occurring in the club, they should bring it to the attention of a club officer.

Ely Model Aircraft Club

BMFA Affiliation no 0299

Privacy Notice

At the Ely Model Aircraft Club hereafter referred to as “the club”, we’re committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

We have not appointed a Data Protection Officer to oversee our compliance with data protection laws as we are not required to do so, but our Data Protection Compliance Manager has overall responsibility for data protection compliance in our club. Contact details are set out in the "Contacting us" section at the end of this privacy notice.

This notice explains when and why we collect personal information about people who join the club by whatever means, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and your rights in relation to your personal data.

We may change this notice from time to time so please check the website at elymac.bmfa.club or request a copy occasionally to ensure that you’re happy with any changes. By becoming a member of the club, you’re agreeing to be bound by this notice.

Any questions regarding this notice and our privacy practices should be sent by email via the Club website elymac.bmfa.club

How do we collect information about you?

We obtain information about you when you apply to become a member of the club either online with the British Model Flying Association (BMFA), via telephone, or in person.

What type of information is collected about you?

The personal information we collect might include your name, address, email address, telephone number, gender and IP address.

The legal bases for the processing of your personal data is to enable the club to fulfil our contractual obligations and provide membership services.

How is your information used?

We may use your information to:

process your membership;
to carry out our obligations arising from your membership;
seek your views or comments on matters relating to the club and model aircraft flying
notify you of changes to our services;
send you communications which you have requested and that may be of interest to you. These may include information about club events and contests and other club related matters, also information from the BMFA that may be of interest.

How long do we retain your information?

We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary to carry out our obligations in relation to your membership, or as long as is set out in any relevant agreement between us. Where an individual person’s club membership lapses your information will be securely kept for a period of two years, after which your information will be deleted.

Who has access to your information?

We will not sell or rent your information to third parties.

We will not share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

All members of the club must also be members of the BMFA, by joining the club you give consent for your personal data to be shared with the BMFA to enable provision of BMFA membership services. Please see the BMFA privacy policy at https://www.bmfa.org/Privacy-Policy

Please be reassured that we will not release your information to third parties beyond the club unless we are required to do so by law, for example, by a court order or for the purposes of prevention of fraud or other crime.

How you can access and update your information?

The accuracy of your information is important to us. You can check the information we hold is correct on the member’s dashboard area of the BMFA website and update the information if necessary directly through their website, or contact the committee via the club website elymac.bmfa.club

What are your rights?

(a) the right to access;

You have the right to confirmation as to whether or not we process your personal data and, where we do, access to the personal data, together with certain additional information. That additional information includes details of the purposes of the processing, the categories of personal data concerned and the recipients of the personal data. Providing the rights and freedoms of others are not affected, we will supply to you a copy of your personal data. The first copy will be provided free of charge, but additional copies may be subject to a reasonable fee. You can access your personal data by visiting your member’s dashboard when logged into our website.

(b) the right to rectification;

You have the right to have any inaccurate personal data about you rectified and, taking into account the purposes of the processing, to have any incomplete personal data about you completed.

In some circumstances you have the right to the erasure of your personal data without undue delay. Those circumstances include: the personal data being no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which the data was collected or otherwise processed, you are no longer a club member and wish the data not to be held for our standard two year period. Please note a request for data erasure for a current member would require that member to forfeit membership. The data is required for the club to fulfil its obligations.

(d) the right to restrict processing;

In some circumstances you have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data. Those circumstances are: you contest the accuracy of the personal data; processing is unlawful but you oppose erasure; we no longer need the personal data for the purposes of our processing, but you require personal data for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; and you have objected to processing, pending the verification of that objection. Where processing has been restricted on this basis, we may continue to store your personal data. However, we will only otherwise process it: with your consent; for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person; or for reasons of important public interest.

(e) the right to object to processing;

You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data for direct electronic communications purposes. If you make such an objection, we will cease to process your personal data for this purpose.

(f) the right to data portability;

To the extent that the legal basis for our processing of your personal data is that the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party and such processing is carried out by automated means, you have the right to receive your personal data from us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. However, this right does not apply where it would adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

(g) the right to complain to a supervisory authority;

If you consider that our processing of your personal information infringes data protection laws, you have a legal right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office. https://ico.org.uk

(h) the right to withdraw consent.

To the extent that the legal basis for our processing of your personal information is consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal.

You may exercise any of your rights in relation to your personal data by written notice to us OR by using your BMFA member’s dashboard when logged into their website

Contacting Us

By contacting one of the Committee members via our website:

elymac.bmfa.club

Ely Model Aircraft Club

Constitution

Revised at AGM 23rd November 2025

Name	The club shall be called the *Ely Model Aircraft Club*
Aims	The club’s principal aim shall be the promotion of safe, responsible and enjoyable model aircraft flying.
Affiliation	The club shall be affiliated to the British Model Flying Association.
Organisation	The club shall be governed by a committee elected annually at the AGM, the chairman to have a casting vote at meetings.
Committee	The committee: Shall be elected at each AGM and will hold office for one year. Shall comprise Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary. May co-opt additional members as necessary. May make decisions in the interests of the club.
Membership	Membership shall be from 1 January to 31 December. The membership classes shall comprise: Honorary, Senior, Student, and Junior membership. Junior membership will be for persons younger than 18 for the whole year. The club shall have a policy for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. Each member must also be a current member of the BMFA and must be able to provide evidence of such on request. The committee has the right to refuse membership to new applicants. Persons letting their membership lapse for one year or more will be treated as new applicants. Honorary members, Robert and Jerry Findley, are not required to pay a subscription and will have no voting rights or be able to stand for election to the committee.
Meetings	AGM. There shall be an AGM in December, the date and place to be advised in writing to all members. The quorum for the AGM shall be a quarter of the membership. Subscriptions shall be set at the AGM and shall be due by 1 January for continuing members. EGM. The Secretary will convene an EGM on request from the committee or on receipt of a written request signed by at least 20 members of the club or a third of the membership, whichever is less, stating their reason. The EGM is then to be held within 4 weeks with at least 2 weeks written notice to all members in which the business of the EGM shall be defined. All proposals must be seconded, voted upon, and decided by a majority, with no proxy or postal voting. All general meetings are to be minuted. Meetings of the committee shall be held as deemed necessary.
Rules	The committee may make such rules as are necessary for the well-being of the club and its membership. All members must obey all club rules as a condition of membership. Any breach of these rules or conduct which is offensive to members or injurious to the interests of the club may be investigated by the committee on receipt of a written complaint. The alleged offender will be given a verbal warning initially, progressing eventually to termination of membership if the matter cannot be resolved.
Club dissolution	Dissolution can only be decided at an EGM. The necessary decisions shall be taken by a two-thirds majority vote of those members present. After sale of assets, settlement of outstanding debts and refund of unexpired portions of club subscriptions, any remaining funds shall be given to charity or as decided at the EGM.
Constitution alteration	Any alterations to the constitution shall only be made at an AGM or EGM and must be supported by at least two-thirds of members present.