logos A description of the clubs and organisations formed to promote control line aeromodelling during its years of popularity in Australia.

In common with most successful activities, control line aeromodelling was advanced at a local level by groups of interested people banding together to form clubs.  In the mid 1950's local aeromodelling clubs catered for all kinds of model planes, and in the cities at least, most members flew control line.

To co-ordinate the activities of clubs on matters that required a combined approach (such as staging State Championships), statewide associations of clubs were formed, giving rise to the Aeromodellers of Western Australia, Model Aeronautical Association of Queensland, South Australian Associated Aermodellers, Victorian Model Aeronautical Association, and so on.

To co-ordinate the activities of states on matters that required a combined approach (such as establishing and publishing competition rules, staging National Championships, recognising Australian performance records, and representing Australia Internationally), state associations collectively formed the Model Aeronautical Association of Australia.

As specialisation developed within aeromodelling it became apparent that the existing organisational structure was flawed.  On the whole, control line modellers were not particularly interested in spending their time considering radio control issues; radio control modellers were not particularly interested in spending their time considering free flight issues; free flight modellers were not particularly interested in spending their time considering control line issues.  So specialist groups began to form to look after their own interests, giving rise to the Stuntmasters, Victorian Free Flight Society, and Control Line Aircraft Modellers.

A typical Melbourne club of the 1950's

The Sandringham Model Aero Club was typical of the short-lived clubs that sprang up around the suburbs of Melbourne.

A typical Sydney club of the 1950's

Read all about the Tempe Park Sky Hawks as remembered by one of its proud former members, John Quigley.

A typical club of today

For a glimpse of a typical Australian control line club of today, why not take a look at the website of the Control Line Aircraft Modellers of Frankston, Victoria, the Thornlie and Regions Model Aero Club of Western Australia, or perhaps the Brisbane Thunderbirds.

Model Aeronautical Association of Australia

For a glimpse of what the Model Aeronautical Association of Australia and its member bodies are like today, take a look at its web site.  Don't expect to find much about control line though.


 

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