Midlands National Flying Club

Highlighting a Few Changes

By the time people are reading this short update the birds will have been sent off to the Club’s first race of the 2018 season and we all hope that ‘weather gods’ offer us better race conditions than in 2017. I do fear though as long as the Jetstream continues to affect the wind direction on the channel that it will have a detrimental effect on our results.

I would like to offer a reminder to a couple of changes from last season. The first thing is that the verification time of first arrival has been put back to 60 minutes and please don’t verify any additional arrivals as the computer is set up that any subsequent verifications triggers the removal of the first one. Personally I believe that this is a backward step security wise and in this day and age when 99% of fanciers have a mobile phone the 30 minute rule was perfectly adequate. When you consider that in Belgium the ‘big brother’ of pigeon racing after timing in on ETS in national races a rubber must be timed into a conventional clock and within a further few minutes the bird must be verified over the telephone or by laptop. Still our members have voted to go back to 60 minutes and so that is how it will be in the immediate future.

The second change is in regard to future race reports. Attached to this update are the new guidelines on how members in the leading positions should get into contact with the club’s Press Officer. To explain further when I started to cover the Club some 15 years ago and goodness me that seems light years ago now, we had 4 sections and I tried to contact all 16 of the top 4 in each of these sections and actually visiting the section toppers if it was possible. Now though we have 12 sections which has definitely been necessary in most of these cases but for me to contact nearly 50 people by telephone after each race is really mission impossible. I must admit that age is starting to catch up with me as I am now a OAP but I still do my best to go and see our race winners though occasionally it isn’t possible. Therefore please take note of the attached notice to help me to give a little publicity to those who wish to give credit to their bird’s performance.

Also a ‘heads up’ for those who are planning to race with the new ETS clock the Ipigeon. Please check with your local marking and clock station to see if they have the knowledge and facilities to operate it. Though it looks like it is a fantastic timing system it will only be usable if we have the necessary training education.

The MNFC One Loft update

The entry this year has grown on last year’s figure and so the race can now offer £30,000 in total prizemoney for the final and 3 Hotspot races. This is an increase of £3,000 on the 2017 figure. Another very pleasing fact is that the number of participating competitors has increased by 32 more people.

We are well aware that a number of our members aren’t exactly over enamoured by the Club getting involved with One Loft racing but believe me this type of racing is growing all over the world and the MNFC will benefit from their decision to set up a One Loft Race. The ‘Snook & Alan’lads who are currently undertaking the Management of the loft are doing a great job both in looking after the birds and their PR is fantastic with everyone who brings in their birds offered a cuppa, a chat and a good look around the set up. You don’t have to believe me just ask the folk who have made the decision to enter the series of races at the friendly reception that they receive.

Finally good luck to everyone who is participating in our 2018 races and are following the wording on our 2018 Handbook ‘Reach for the sky and dare to dream’

Mike Lakin