New Plymouth Model Aero Club - Model Aero Club

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A little bit of history

The exact origin and formation date of the New Plymouth Model Aero Club is unclear, suffice to say that some history was recorded by one of our members, Don J. Robinson who joined the club as a 14 year old member and has been inducted as a life member of NZMAA. He has written the following about the club from his knowledge.

I joined the NPMAC in 1953 as a junior at the age of 14. Other juniors who joined about the same time were:- Ross Giddy, Graeme Gilliver, Barry Gilliver, Barry Cardiff, Pat Spellman and Malcolm Sexton.

I can remember being told by senior members that at one stage there were two model flying clubs in New Plymouth. One was called the New Plymouth Model Aero Club and the other the New Plymouth Model Flying Club, if my memory serves me correctly on the second name. I am not sure if both clubs existed before and/or after WW2. The original NPMAC goes back prior to WW2, as can be proved by the “Champ of Champs” shield which has the name “J. Joll, 1936” engraved on it. In case I am incorrect with the date, the exact date can be checked by reference to the shield.

When my family was on our way to the 1986/87 Gore Nationals, we stayed overnight in Wellington with Shane Willard. During the night, while glancing through some early Wellington club bulletins, we came across an article about the Second Official Flying Meeting of the NPMAC on 6 January 1935. Further on in the bulletin it was mentioned that Mr. F.R. Bullot was the president of the NPMAC at the time, and that a second club existed in New Plymouth called “The New Plymouth Model Flying Club”. This bulletin was dated 16 January 1935, hence I believe that the NPMAC was originally formed in late 1934. This information was published in the NPMAC bulletin of March 1987.

In the April 1987 NPMAC bulletin was a copy of a small article published in the Taranaki Daily News of 4 April 1987, under the heading “50 Years Ago” mentions a NZ record flight by J. Joll of Fitzroy, New Plymouth. The NZMAA had only just been formed at this stage (1934) and the Wellington bulletin, called “Model Aircraft”, was regarded at this period of time as a New Zealand bulletin. The NZMAA’s first Annual Conference was held at New Plymouth in 1936.

I understand that the club went into recess during WW2 and I would guess that it was reformed about late 1945 or 1946 after the end of the war. I believe that the late Mr. Gordon Smith of the “Bettair” model shop in New Plymouth was the president of the New Plymouth Model Flying Club.