Oldham and District Model Aero Club

Club History

The Oldham and District Model Aero Club was founded in June 1945 by three eighteen year olds, Mr. Jimmy Shaw, Mr. Len Gabriels and Mr. Ray Musgrove. Mr. Jimmy Shaw is still a current and very active member of the club. His knowledge of models and flying in general is very extensive and is an excellent source of knowledge for the younger members to tap into.

Mr. Jimmy Shaw, one of the founder members of the Club, with the original Club sign. Unfortunately this sign has now been lost.

The picture on the right shows Jimmy still flying today with the enthusiasm he has shown over the last 50 years of his flying career.

Initially, model flying took place at Bellfields which was adjacent to Werneth Golf Club.

This picture was taken about 1950 when R/C equipment was very rudimentary. Len Gabriels is the one on the transmitter (seen the aerial ?) and Ray Musgrove is launching the model. Henry Gilbert, who owned the model shop at Rhodes Bank, is the bald guy just to the left of the aerial. Bill Harrington, who owned a model shop on Horsehedge St. (we think), is 5th. from the left. Len Gabriels little brother (who is now also retired) is the smallest boy with the outstretched hand just below Ray Musgrove's outstretched hand. The control consisted of a rubber band driven bang bang left/right rudder. The receiver had a Hivac gas-filled valve made for R/C and which had a very short life, about 5 hours, due to the gas gradually becoming stuck to the anode (or cathode?). The valves were baked in an oven to release the gas and extend their life a bit longer.

The types of models flown at the time were gliders and rubber powered free flight models. There were no remote controlled (IC) powered systems available then, due to wartime restrictions. Balsa wood was as rare as gold and basic building wood was Obechi and Plywood. A six foot wingspan was considered a large model. Now it is a reasonable sized trainer.

Model shops were also a rarity. A radio shop based at Rhodes Bank, Oldham, was owned by Henry Gilbert and this was the only local model supplier available to the enthusiast. The shop catered for Hornby trains as well as aeroplanes.

After the war, the Club went from strength to strength despite losing three flying sites due to the building by the Local Authority of new schools, Breezehill being one of them.

The Club eventually settled down at the Peacote site in Derker for forty years. However, in 1993, the Local Authority served notice that the Peacote site was to become a municipal golf course, and thus we had to look for new premises. With the aid of the Local Authority, we spent many long and traumatic times looking for an alternative site, and now the Club is poised to occupy a new permanent site at Crompton Moor, Denshaw.

This shows Jimmy Shaw on the first visit to the Peacotes site back in 1958. The Club flew there from 1958 until March 2000 when the Local Authority churned it up to make way for a public golf course. Note that the youngsters were very interested then, as they are now - given the chance.

In spite of the loss of a permanent site, the Club continues to exist and is indeed flourishing, continuing to attract new members, in particular some very capable youngsters and some "more mature" members who have taken up indoor IC flying. The junior members have taken the Club's name to national levels, and, in one case, Philip Vandries became the BMFA Fun Fly National Champion in the year 2000.

The Club is certain that with their enthusiasm, we shall see the next 50 years continue to maintain the enthusiasm and interest in Aero-modelling in Oldham and her Districts.

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