The West London Model Aeroplane Club was formerly the West
Drayton MAC. It was founded 1969 by Terry Melloney, who was at one
time British Scale Champion and also World Scale Champion. The
membership was about 18 when Lloyd Ressler became Chairman.
The West Drayton field was located in what is now the Stockley
Park Estate. The present field was offered to the club when the
owners of the West Drayton site decided to build the Business Park
on the land. The club has developed what was a land fill site into
an ideal Model Flying Airfield. Upon the change of flying site, the
Club's name was changed to West London MAC, monthly meetings were
started and a monthly newsletter was introduced.
The current field is located about 1 mile from exit 17 of the M25
behind Harefield - between Denham and Uxbridge. It is accessed by a
private paved and hardcore road off Springwell Lane. It is
about 5 minutes from the motorway junction at Maple Cross to the
site. Although it's possible to drive down the lane from the
other end, it's very narrow - most people coming from the
Harefield/Ickenham/Northwood end still approach from the Maple
Cross end. The entrance gate to the site is locked and each
member has a key to access the site when they wish to fly their
models.
On the Flying field there is a Secure Clubhouse comprising 40ft by
10ft which is heated with a kitchen and a flushing toilet. There is
a large hardcore parking area just behind the clubhouse and members
can drive up to the Clubhouse park and carry their models just a
few metres to the pits area in front of the clubhouse. There
is a pits area, with over a dozen starting benches and hard
standing for winter flying and tables to assemble models. From the
field there is a lovely view over the countryside towards the
M25.
The flying site is a large flat grass area over 100 metres each
way, there is no restriction on flying times for silent flight
(e.g. electric) models, but I/C models must meet the BMFA noise
limits and may only be flown between 09h00 and 19h00. In 2011
the club installed a dedicated astroturf runway - possibly the only
one in the UK.
We now have an additional heli hovering area (also suitable for
indoor 3D models) outside the main flying area so that both can be
flown at once without conflict, and a car racing track (electric
cars only)
In 2020 the club was offered the use of an additional field
("Pickeridge Farm"), near Stoke Poges, by our previous
landlord. We have applied for planning permission, and if
this is successful we hope to start limited use during 2022,
although it will be some time before we have a setup similar to
Harefield.
Club
meetings
| Current committee
