david

I just rered mine with a super critical eye due to previous thread and , you
know, we are being harsh. In terms of *content* it's on a par with the rest
of the mags...a bit of power, slope, scale, plus indoor, eleccy, helis etc.
Much the same as Aeromodeller was.

BUT, the layout , paper and format all ****. I reckon if they put it onto
A4 magazine paper it'dd be improved no end.

Have another look, actually read the thing and see what I mean.

D

mdj

The headline: "Are your models safe?" is dreadful and unnecessary. Their
scaremongering tactics are admittedly no different to those employed by many
national newspapers, except that BMFA hasn't managed to pull it off very
stealthily. It smacks of an old-timer kidding himself that there was no such
thing as petty crime in the golden old days. Sad world? Maybe so, but it
doesn't begin to warrant a front-page story!

But I regress, you are right, the content for the most part IS there. I
maintain though that its presentation is awful and many of the headlines are
truly patronising, for example: "It never gave me a problem last season!
Maintenance = Safety". I don't wish to point the finger but.... Aw what the
hell..... With headlines and presentation being the key problems it has to
be the editor wot done it!! I demand a shake up!

MDJ

nick beard

Lets face it...It's a pile of old Bumwipe. Keep it for the modelshow loos,
they've always got no paper left!!

romelluk

The content of this newsgroup is far more relevant to the normal club flyer
than the BMFA rag. Look how much of it's content is filled with news of
competitions and results of esoteric branches of our sport that only a tiny
proportion of members get involved in. Children chucking BMFA darts around
is an admirable ideal and something a small part of the BMFA should be
involved with but (if you kept them and not used them as bum wipes) look how
many times pages of this theme has repeated itself over the last six months.

It's obviously bang up to date and relevant because this month we have a
report of Wings and Wheels 2003 - some 6 months after the event!!

Look at the turnout of the BMFA at the events they attend - a prehistoric
backboard with graphics to match.matched with some sagging wallpapering
tables with your BMFA hat or shirt drapped on it. It toally reflects the
outdated image of their newspaper, dated and irrelevent to most!

Romelluk

mdj

Ouch!

You said what I tried to.

david smith

The usual argument is that the reason the BMFA seems dominated by archaic
minority interests is that the people following such pursuits are the only
who bother to get off their backsides and DO something. The BMFA isn't
'THEM', it is all of its members, so if you want to read about YOUR
interest, submit an article to them. If you don't like the image 'they'
present at the shows, volunteer to help out and do better.
--
Dave S, Kuusankoski, Finland.
http://personal.inet.fi/koti/david.smith/rcair/
My return address requires modification before use.

tom gaskin

I totally agree with David - any newletter (club or national group) is only
as good as the articles submitted...

So, who's going to be first from here to submit something?

--
Regards,
Tom Gaskin
This message has been checked using Norton Antivirus

romelluk

If the BMFA was run by amateurs you may have a point - it's not, they
receive a salary (made up of our membership fees) they are believe it or not
professionals ( if by definition only).

We pay them to produce this Newsletter, we have every right to complain if
we don't like it. The BMFA itself asked for criticism of it's newsletter a
couple of years ago (mind you this was a fruitless exercise as the results
were 'most people think it's not too bad')

I work in the exhibition industry and have done for the past 25 years. I
know (not think, know) what is available to companies and organisations such
as the BMFA who wish to present themselves to a modern audience. Believe me
Dave, what the BMFA has is pathetic!

We don't need more articles from the membership (though some variation of
content would be good!) with 50,000 members odd they must be swamped with
content. This is a question of attitude and presentation.

After the last show at RAF Halton (2002) I asked a BMFA official why the
BMFA exhibit was hidden in the back far corner of one of the hangers and not
in a prominent position that you would expect your national Organisation to
be in. His answer..........'it's all we could get for free!'
There were thousands and thousands of BMFA members and potential members at
that show but the BMFA 'stand' was surpassed by the smallest club
exhibiting. Both in content and especially by enthusiasm.

Where were the demonstrations, where were the sound and visuals, where were
the chats with the living legends of our sport? Any half competent club
committee would have come up with better than what the BMFA produced

Our National body should have been telling the Organisers where they wanted
to be not waiting for freebies. They should demand that the people manning
their stand are dressed in their BMFA kit and not lolling about on chairs
behind their semi-collapsing trestle tables. They should train a few people
on how to man a stand correctly, then make sure at least one of them is on
every BMFA stand. Seeing that most of the venues the BMFA goes to is
outdoors how about a BMFA exhibition trailer?

There are loads of ways to improve the BMFA's presentation - again, it is a
question of attitude. This is not a 'poor' Organisation, they've got more
money than they know what to do with. Our sport is expanding at a fantastic
rate but the 'ruling body' can't keep up by decades.

Enough of a rant..........do you think the BMFA monitors the uk.rec
newsgroup.........err do you think they know that there is a uk.rec
newsgroup?

Perhaps someone should send the whole of this thread to them

Regards

Romelluk

brett

I would love to but how can we send the whole thread? Unless it we printed
off.

I really agree with all these points.

If the BMFA just took a few pence from each member to pay for exhibiting etc
they would have plenty. I really do not understand why an org like that is
looking for a "free" stand at a high vis show.


Brett


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paul mcintosh

Gee, what a NOVEL idea!!