British Model Flying Association

The British Model Flying Association (BMFA) was the first air sport association to become a member of the The Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom in 1922.

​

Model flying is one of the oldest organised aviation activities, with origins which pre-date manned aviation. Its rich heritage is ascribable to many aviation pioneers testing their designs in model form before risking their lives. Many of these pioneers were former members of the BMFA, including A V Roe, Tommy Sopwith, Charles Fairey, R J Mitchell and Lord Brabazon.
 

Around half of the UK's 70,000 sporting and recreational aviators represented by The Royal Aero Club fly model aircraft. Worldwide, this number is thought to be over 750,000, making model flying the largest of all the air sports.

Within General Aviation (GA) activity in the UK, model flying is recognised as a vital element of the spectrum, backed by the Government’s Green Paper – Aviation 2050 – The Future of UK Aviation.

A valuable STEM activity, model flying helps to develop practical problem-solving skills within the aviation pioneers of the future. It remains an integral element within engineering and aerospace education and the BMFA has an active education scheme, running an annual ‘Payload Challenge’ contest for schools and universities, attracting participants from around the world.

Model flying incorporates a diverse range of activities, with aircraft ranging from little more than 1g up to complex gas turbine-powered aircraft weighing 150kg. Contest disciplines include racing, aerobatics and scale accuracy and each year the BMFA supports up to 90 members representing Great Britain in World and European Championships. The biggest proportion of members fly simply for enjoyment though!

The BMFA is proud to be supporting nearly 30,000 members and over 800 affilated clubs with every flight taken, and they've been doing it for over 100 years.

 

Why not try model flying for FREE? The BMFA has a whole network of clubs, right across the UK that can get you into the air with a friendly instructor and dual-control training aircraft, all for free. Just head to the BMFA website (link below) click on the big red button, fill in the form, and get ready to make that dream a reality!