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Dave Wilshere – Chairman
Dave is well known to most on the UK jet scene as a very pro-active jet builder and flier. Always to be found at jet events in the UK flying one of his own fleet (he currently has 15 jets ready to go – all built himself) Dave is also central figure when it comes to helping other jet pilots out. As part of the English Team, Dave will be flying his Saab Gripen at this year’s Jet World Masters in Ireland. An engineer by profession, Dave now plays with models full-time as Managing Director of Motors & Rotors. |
His modelling interest goes way back to the early 70s when he started flying a Graupner Dandy glider - controlled by a Reed set! All sorts of fixed wing and helis followed (he won lots of comps flying helis) and his first taste of jet flying came via electric jets, and later with a gas turbine powered Graupner Hotspot. Dave’s built too many jets to mention, but lists the Airworld L-39, BVM Super Bandit, Bobcat and CARF Lightning amongst his favourites.
Dave is 41 and lives in Watford with his wife Morag and three young children, who keep them on their toes! |
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Roger Kilbey – Secretary
Like many modellers, Roger's career in model flying was sparked way back by his interest in building and flying control-liners, although his interest veered off for 30 years or so into the sphere of motor cycle racing, at which he achieved a fair amount of success!
Being an engineer (he runs his own computer network installation business) the technology associated with jet models and the thought of flying jets prompted Roger's return to modelling back in the late 90s and he started jet flying using his own-built Wren MW-54 and Delta 2000 model. |
and then through the adrenaline rush of a couple of Yellow Aircraft Stingrays before going the scale route and a superb F-18, complete with all the complexity of its landing gear and gear doors!
Supported throughout by wife Sue, Roger is based in Cheltenham and, in common with many jet modellers in the South, spends most of his jet flying time at Wroughton airfield, where he is very active in helping newcomers to, not just the jet scene, but any branch of our hobby. |
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Geoff White – Treasurer
Few people in the jet world, both at home and abroad, haven't heard of Geoff's reputation as an outstanding jet pilot. His demonstrations with his BVM Bandit are legendary, and he's pretty good at scale flying too!
Modelling since 1983 with only a short three year 'beer break' interrupting progress, Geoff's interests have varied from Club 20 pylon, through F3A aerobatics, large scale aerobatics and, since attending the Abingdon Winter Jets Meet in 2000, he's been addicted to jets! Flying's not Geoff's only forte - he assembles a pretty good model too! |
An IT consultant by profession, Geoff conveniently lives about two miles from the birthplace of the world's first ever jet meet at Abingdon and, being a youthful 39 and single to boot, is able to indulge his time as he sees fit! Although new to the JMA Committee, Geoff has done his apprenticeship by being the official auditor of the past two years. |
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David Tappin - Safety Advisor Representative
An aeronautical engineer by training but ending up with own company designing, manufacturing and marketing safety and efficiency equipment for the construction industry. Sold up for early retirement in 1996 with the intention of devoting the rest of life to family, aeromodelling, jazz and travel. An aim towards which I am still working.
An aeromodeller from the age of 12, having had a serious go at everything other than control-line speed in the intervening 60 years. Finding, in recent years, that the older I got the better I used to fly the competitive lust has been sublimated into judging. For F3A since the early 1980’S and jets since being invited by the IJMC to judge at the 1st Jet World Masters at Nu Ulm in Germany in 1995. From 1998 to 2003 was UK Team Manager for F3A, an appointment which I look back on as a mixed blessing; an exceptional experience combining, as it does, holder of poisoned chalice, national pride, unfulfilled promise and world travel (and jazz because the WC in Pensacola, Florida in 1999 provided me with the opportunity to visit New Orleans).
A great deal of my time is now taken up with my role as IJMC Boardmember with responsibility as Judge Representative. This goes a bit further than sitting in the best seat in the house, in extremes of heat and cold, for a week once every two years. Being involved in the organisation of such an event entails quite a lot of work, spread over the two years between events, including the preparation for and conduct of judge training and selection. The judges themselves also have to make a considerable (and unpaid) commitment to this because the IJMC insists on using only IJMC trained and approved judges at the JWM. Currently preparing for the World Jet Team Cup in Hungary (Sept 5th - 7th 2008) and the 9th Jet World Masters in Israel in June 2009.
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Now, owning one of the Rookie Boomerangs, actually getting into the joys and complexities of operating a jet.I am honoured to be taking Tom Wilkinson's place on the JMA committee, representing both the IJMC and the JMA on the BMFA’s R/C Power Technical Committee, and only hope I can live up to the expectation created by his efforts in the past.
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Dick Spreadbury – Membership Secretary
If you don’t count Jetex types, Dick’s been flying model jets for close to 25 years, and gas turbines for the last 15. His first jet was a Fanjets Hawk, built as a kit review model back in 1983, since when, too many jets to list have come out of his workshop – mainly for himself but he does build for others too. Dick started modelling when he was six, with a Keil-Kraft Soarer Baby glider, followed by a Veron Verosonic 46 and then a Cox PT-19 control-liner which stimulated his interest in designing and building all sorts of control-line models, which persisted until his late teens when a set of Futaba Diximax and Kamco Kadet took him into the world of R/C, |
and so the days of losing balance were gone! Scale aerobatic models was Dick's main interest before attendance at the world’s first ever jet meet at Abingdon back in 1982 saw him bitten by the jet bug, from which he’s never recovered! Dick has long been a prime mover in the UK jet world and Abingdon remains a key feature of Dick’s life as he organises the Classic Jets series of jet events that take place there on a regular basis. Originally an aeronautical engineer, Dick, now 52, spends his days as an aviation related safety consultant, and splits the rest of his time between his family – wife Christine, son and daughter – organising jet events, writing for the aviation press, running his safety training company and, of course, building and flying model jets. Dick's other big interest is in Formula 1 motor racing, which is why it’s not unusual to see him watching the race on a battery powered TV in his car at jet meets! |
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